Tissue Engineering, Morphogenesis, and Regeneration of the Periodontal Tissues By Bone Morphogenetic Proteins

Abstract

Tissue engineering is the emerging field of science developing techniques for fabrication of new tissues for replacement based on principles of cell and developmental biology and biomaterials. Morphogenesis is the cascade of pattern formation and the attainment of form of the various organs and the organism as a whole. The periodontium consists of the periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. Bone has considerable potential for regeneration and therefore is a prototypic model for tissue engineering. The three main ingredients for tissue engineering are regulatory signals, responding stem cells, and extracellular matrix. Recent advances in molecular biology of the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have set the stage for tissue engineering of bone and related tissues, including the periodontium. Bone-derived BMPs, with a collagenous matrix as carrier, induced cementum and alveolar bone regeneration in surgically created furcation defects in the primate. It is noteworthy that there was morphogenesis of periodontal ligament and a faithful insertion of Sharpey's fibers into cementum. In the same furcation model, recombinant human osteogenic protein-l (rhOP-l, also known as BMP-7), in conjunction with the collagenous carrier, induced extensive cementogenesis with insertion of Sharpey's fibers into the newly formed cementum. The observation that BMPs induce cementogenesis and periodontal ligament formation indicates that these proteins may have multiple functions in vivo not limited to cartilage and bone induction. The rapid advances in the molecular biology of BMPs and their receptors bode well for novel strategies to engineer the regeneration of the periodontal tissues.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and -4 (BMP-2 and -4) Mediates Fraxetin-Induced Maturation and Differentiation in Human Osteoblast-Like Cell Lines

“…36) BMPs are of tremendous interest as therapeutic agents for healing bone fracture, preventing osteoporosis, and enhancing bone response around alloplastic materials implanted in bone. 7,37) RhBMP-2 delivered with an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) has been used for the augmentation of the maxillary sinus floor in humans. 7,38) BMP-2 regenerated bone in irradiated tissues also provides the clinical potential to treat patients who have undergone radiation therapy and need bone reconstruction.…”

Emdogain® in carcinogenesis: a systematic review of in vitro studies

“…The essential features of successful regeneration are de novo cementogenesis, osteogenesis, and assembly of periodontal ligaments onto the acellular cementum. The apical proliferation of epithelial cells must also be simultaneously arrested (3)(4)(5). In 1997, a report found evidence that extracted porcine enamel matrix proteins could induce new cementum and bone formation in periodontal defects in monkeys (6).…”

Synthetic biodegradable polymers as drug delivery systems for bone morphogenetic proteins

“…In allogeneic bone grafting, major concerns are potential risks of transmission of disease, immunologic reaction of the host, poor osteogenic capacity of the transplanted bone, and high costs associated with a bone banking system [2][3][4]. Current examination of alternatives to grafting techniques suggests three possible new approaches to inducing new bone formation: implantation of certain cytokines such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) in combination with appropriate delivery systems at the target site [5][6][7]; transduction of genes encoding cytokines with osteogenic capacity into cells at repair sites [8,9]; and transplantation of cultured osteogenic cells derived from host bone marrow [10][11][12][13]. In our estimation, the second approach represents the next major advance, while the third requires considerable additional resources and time to procure and culture cells.…”