Sustained Release Of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Research Articles

Delivery of Stem Cells and BMP-2 With Functionalized Self-Assembling Peptide Enhances Regeneration of Infarcted Myocardium.

Stem cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic strategy for myocardial infarction (MI). However, engraftment, survival and differentiation of the transplanted stem cells in ischemic and inflammatory microenvironment are poor. We designed a novel self-assembly peptide (SAP) by modifying the peptide RADA16 with cell-adhesive motif and BMP-2 (bone morphogenetic protein-2)-binding motif. Effects of the functionalized SAP on adhesion, survival and differentiation of c-kit+ MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) were examined. Myocardial regeneration, neovascularization and cardiac function were assessed after transplantation of the SAP loading c-kit+ MSCs and BMP-2 in rat MI models. The SAP could spontaneously assemble into well-ordered nanofibrous scaffolds. The cells adhered to the SAP scaffolds and spread well. The SAP protected the cells in the condition of hypoxia and serum deprivation. Following degradation of the SAP, BMP-2 was released sustainedly and induced c-kit+ MSCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. At four weeks after transplantation of the SAP loading c-kit+ MSCs and BMP-2, myocardial regeneration and angiogenesis were enhanced, and cardiac function was improved significantly. The cardiomyocytes differentiated from the engrafted c-kit+ MSCs were increased markedly. The differentiated cells connected with recipient cardiomyocytes to form gap junctions. Collagen volume was decreased dramatically. These results suggest that the functionalized SAP promotes engraftment, survival and differentiation of stem cells effectively. Local sustained release of BMP-2 with SAP is a viable strategy to enhance differentiation of the engrafted stem cells and repair of the infarcted myocardium.

Dual-phase blocks for regeneration of critical-sized bone defects

Repair of critical-size bone defects (CBD) remains a challenge in orthopedic surgery due to the restricted regenerative capacity of bone tissue. Herein, multi-functional biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) blocks decorated with gelatin packs were developed for bone regeneration of CBDs. The gelatin packs consist of gelatin microspheres (GMSs) and an enzymatic crosslinked gelatin layer for bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and antibiotics delivery. The porous interior of the BCP block was filled with GMSs containing BMP-2 and tightly packed with an enzymatic crosslinked gelatin layer. The outermost part of the block was then covered with antibiotics-loaded GMSs. The BCP platform elaborately decorated for each zone improved the adhesion of osteoblasts and enabled the sequential release of antibiotics and BMP-2 and sustained release of BMP-2, realizing on-demand drug release according to the treatment stage. The programmed drug release of this platform significantly improved the regeneration of CBDs. In vivo experiments using dog's mandible defect models clearly demonstrated the clinical application potential of this BCP platform.

Chemically heparinized PEEK via a green method to immobilize bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) for enhanced osteogenic activity.

Osseointegration remains one of the major challenges in the success of bone-related implants. Recently, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has emerged as an alternative material in orthopedic and dental applications due to its bone-mimicking mechanical properties. However, its bioinertness resulting in poor osseointegration has limited its potential application. So, the surface modification of PEEK with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) can be a potential approach for improving osseointegration. In this study, we proposed the chemical modification of heparin onto PEEK through an environmentally benign method to exploit the BMP-2 binding affinity of heparin. The heparin was successfully functionalized on the PEEK surface via a combination of ozone and UV treatment without using organic solvents or chemicals. Furthermore, BMP-2 was efficiently immobilized on PEEK and exhibited a sustained release of BMP-2 compared to the pristine PEEK with enhancement of bioactivity in terms of proliferation as well as osteogenic differentiation of MG-63. The significant synergistic effect of BMP-2 and heparin grafting on osteogenic differentiation of MG-63 was observed. Overall, we demonstrated a relatively safe method where no harsh chemical reagent or organic solvent was involved in the process of heparin grafting onto PEEK. The BMP-2 loaded, heparin-grafted PEEK could serve as a potential platform for osseointegration improvement of PEEK-based bone implants.

Use of biosilica to improve loading and delivery of bone morphogenic protein 2

The clinical utility of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is limited because of the poor attraction between BMP2 and carriers, resulting in low loading efficiency and initial burst release. Here, the high binding affinity of BMP2 to the biosilica surface was utilized to overcome this limitation. Atomic force microscopy revealed that BMP2 bound nearly 8- and 2-fold more strongly to biosilica-coated hydroxyapatite than to uncoated and plain silica-coated hydroxyapatite, respectively. To achieve controlled release, collagen was introduced between the silica layers on hydroxyapatite, which was optimized by adjusting the collagen concentration and number of layers. The optimal biosilica/collagen formulation induced sustained BMP2 release without compromising loading efficiency. BMP2 combined with the mentioned formulation led to an increase in osteogenesis, as compared to the combination of BMP2 with either biosilica-coated or non-coated hydroxyapatite in vitro. In rat calvarial defect models, the biosilica/collagen-coated hydroxyapatite with 1 μg BMP2 showed 26 % more bone regeneration than the same dose of BMP2-loaded hydroxyapatite and 10.6 % more than hydroxyapatite with 2.5-fold dose of BMP2. Using BMP2 affinity carriers coated with biosilica/collagen allows for more efficacious in situ loading and delivery of BMP2, making them suitable for the clinical application of growth factors through a soaking method.

BMP-2 releasing mineral-coated microparticle-integrated hydrogel system for enhanced bone regeneration.

Introduction: Large bone defects (LBD) caused by trauma, infection, and tumor resection remain a significant clinical challenge. Although therapeutic agents such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), have shown substantial potency in various clinical scenarios, their uncontrollable release kinetics has raised considerable concern from the clinical viewpoint. Mineral-coated microparticle (MCM) has shown its excellent biologics loading and delivery potential due to its superior protein-binding capacity and controllable degradation behaviors; thus, it is conceivable that MCM can be combined with hydrogel systems to enable optimized BMP-2 delivery for LBD healing. Methods: Herein, BMP-2 was immobilized on MCMs via electrostatic interaction between its side chains with the coating surface. Subsequently, MCM@BMP-2 is anchored into a hydrogel by the crosslinking of chitosan (CS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Results and Discussion: This microparticle-hydrogel system exhibits good biocompatibility, excellent vascularization, and the sustained release of BMP-2 in the bone defect. Furthermore, it is observed that this microsphere-hydrogel system accelerates bone formation by promoting the expression of osteogenesis-related proteins such as RUNX2, osteopontin, and osteocalcin in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Thus, this newly developed multifunctional microparticle-hydrogel system with vascularization, osteogenesis, and sustained release of growth factor demonstrates an effective therapeutic strategy toward LBD.

Sequential Dual-Biofactor Release from the Scaffold of Mesoporous HA Microspheres and PLGA Matrix for Boosting Endogenous Bone Regeneration.

The combined design of scaffold structure and multi-biological factors is a prominent strategy to promote bone regeneration. Herein, a composite scaffold of mesoporous hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres loaded with the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and a poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) matrix is constructed by 3D printing. Furthermore, the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) is adsorbed on a scaffold surface to achieve the sequential release of the dual-biofactors. The results indicate that the rapid release of SDF-1α chemokine on the scaffold surface effectively recruits bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to the target defect area, whereas the long-term sustained release of BMP-2 from the HA microspheres in the degradable PLGA matrix successfully triggers the osteogenic differentiation in the recruited BMSCs, significantly promoting bone regeneration and reconstruction. In addition, these structures/biofactors specially combining scaffold exhibit significantly better biological performance than that of other combined scaffolds, including the bare HA/PLGA scaffold, the scaffold loaded with SDF-1α or BMP-2 biofactor alone, and the scaffold with surface SDF-1α and BMP-2 dual-biofactors. The utilization of mesoporous HA, the assembly method, and sequential release of the two biofactors in the 3D printed composite scaffold present a new method for future design of high-performance bone repairing scaffolds.

Concentration-Dependent Efficacy of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Using a HA/β-TCP Hydrogel Carrier in a Mini-Pig Vertebral Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion Model.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is used in the treatment of degenerative spinal disease and vertebral fractures, spine fusion, dental surgery, and facial surgery. However, high doses are associated with side effects such as inflammation and osteophytes. In this study, we performed spinal fusion surgery on mini-pigs using BMP-2 and a HA/β-TCP hydrogel carrier, and evaluated the degree of fusion and osteophyte growth according to time and dosage. Increasing the dose of BMP-2 led to a significantly higher fusion rate than was observed in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the 8-week and 16-week samples. We also found that the HA + β-TCP hydrogel combination helped maintain the rate of BMP-2 release. In conclusion, the BMP-2-loaded HA/β-TCP hydrogel carrier used in this study overcame the drawback of potentially causing side effects when used at high concentrations by enabling the sustained release of BMP-2. This method is also highly efficient, since it provides mineral matter to accelerate the fusion rate of the spine and improve bone quality.

Nanoparticles based composite coatings with tunable vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein-2 release for bone regeneration.

Bone healing is a complex cascade involving precisely coordinated spatiotemporal presentation of multiple growth factors (GFs), including osteogenic and angiogenic GFs, and each stage of bone healing requires varying types and content of GFs. In this study, we fabricated a composite nanocoating with tunable vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) that was coated on the surface of a polydopamine (PDA)-decorated tertiary calcium phosphate (TCP) scaffold using VEGF-loaded chitosan/bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (CS/BSA-NPs) and BMP-2-loaded poly-L-lysine/oxidized alginate nanoparticles (PLL/OALG-NPs). It was found that VEGF could be efficiently released to promote vascularization in early bone repair stages due to the rapid biodegradation of CS/BSA-NPs, while bone formation can be promoted by a sustained release of BMP-2 from the slowly degrading PLL/OALG-NPs. The composite coating and TCP scaffold can be conjugated due to the excellent adhesive property of PDA. The composite coating can achieve the rapid release of VEGF and sustained release of BMP-2, which can activate GFs for accelerating bone healing.

A MgFe-LDH Nanosheet-Incorporated Smart Thermo-Responsive Hydrogel with Controllable Growth Factor Releasing Capability for Bone Regeneration.

Although growth factor (GF)-loaded hydrogels have been explored as promising materials in repairing bone defects, it still remains challenging to construct smart hydrogels with excellent gelation/mechanical properties as well as controllable GF releasing capability. Herein, the incorporation of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)-functionalized MgFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets into chitosan/silk fibroin (CS) hydrogels loaded with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) to construct a smart injectable thermo-responsive hydrogel (denoted as CSP-LB), which can achieve a burst release of PDGF-BB and a sustained release of BMP-2, for highly efficient bone regeneration is reported. The incorporation of MgFe-LDH in CS hydrogel not only shortens the gelation time and decreases sol-gel transition temperature, but also enhances the mechanical property of the hydrogel. Because of the sequential release of dual-GFs and sustained release of bioactive Mg2+ /Fe3+ ions, the in vitro experiments prove that the CSP-LB hydrogel exhibits excellent angiogenic and osteogenic properties compared with the CS hydrogel. In vivo experiments further prove that the CSP-LB hydrogel can significantly enhance bone regeneration with higher bone volume and mineral density than that of the CS hydrogel. This smart thermo-sensitive CSP-LB hydrogel possesses excellent gelation capability and angiogenic and osteogenic properties, thus providing a promising minimally invasive solution for bone defect treatment.

Preparation and Biocompatibility of Core-Shell Microspheres for Sequential, Sustained Release of BMP-2 and VEGF

Bone defect repair remains a challenge in orthopedics. This study describes the development and potential effectiveness of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) shell-core microspheres for promoting bone regeneration. Poly(L-lactic acid)/polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLLA/PLGA) core-shell microspheres loaded with VEGF and BMP-2 were prepared by a coaxial electrospray technique, and their surface morphology, core-shell distribution, and particle size were examined. Different groups of microspheres were prepared with different placement of the growth factors, and the encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release curves were measured. Additionally, the effects of the different groups of microspheres on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells were investigated. The prepared microspheres had a core-shell structure with good homogeneity and dispersion, a clear boundary, and a smooth surface. On scanning electron microscopy, the mean diameter of the microspheres was similar for all six preparations (P > 0.05). During in vitro release, growth factor was initially released via a brief burst release from the outer shell of the microsphere followed by a slower sustained release. The release of growth factors from the inner core remained relatively slow and sustained. Sequential release of different growth factors was achieved through the inconsistent release rates from the microsphere shell and inner core. All groups of microspheres showed no cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, and the ability to promote osteoblast proliferation. The microspheres loaded with BMP-2 also promoted osteoblast differentiation, and VEGF-loaded microspheres promoted the proliferation and differentiation of vascular endothelial cells. The BMP-2 (core)/VEGF (shell) microsphere group best promoted osteoblast differentiation. The microspheres prepared in this study exhibited slow sequential release of BMP-2 and VEGF and showed good biocompatibility along with the ability to promote osteoblast differentiation and vascular endothelial cell proliferation.

Bioactive Porous Particles as Biological and Physical Stimuli for Bone Regeneration.

Even though bony defects can be recovered to their original condition with full functionality, critical-sized bone injuries continue to be a challenge in clinical fields due to deficiencies in the scaffolding matrix and growth factors at the injury region. In this study, we prepared bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)-loaded porous particles as a bioactive bone graft for accelerated bone regeneration. The porous particles with unique leaf-stacked morphology (LSS particles) were fabricated by a simple cooling procedure of hot polycaprolactone (PCL) solution. The unique leaf-stacked structure in the LSS particles provided a large surface area and complex release path for the sufficient immobilization of BMP-2 and sustained release of BMP-2 for 26 days. The LSS was also recognized as a topographical cue for cell adhesion and differentiation. In in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal study using a canine mandible defect model, BMP-2-immobilized LSS particles provided a favorable environment for osteogenic differentiation of stem cells and bone regeneration. In vitro study suggests a dual stimulus of bone mineral-like (leaf-stacked) structure (a physical cue) and continuously supplied BMP-2 (a biological cue) to be the cause of this improved healing outcome. Thus, LSS particles containing BMP-2 can be a promising bioactive grafting material for effective new bone formation.

Sustained release of BMP-2 using self-assembled layer-by-layer film-coated implants enhances bone regeneration over burst release

Current clinical products delivering the osteogenic growth factor bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) for bone regeneration have been plagued by safety concerns due to a high incidence of off-target effects resulting from bolus release and supraphysiological doses. Layer-by-layer (LbL) film deposition offers the opportunity to coat bone defect-relevant substrates with thin films containing proteins and other therapeutics; however, control of release kinetics is often hampered by interlayer diffusion of drugs throughout the film during assembly, which causes burst drug release. In this work, we present the design of different laponite clay diffusional barrier layer architectures in self-assembled LbL films to modulate the release kinetics of BMP-2 from the surface of a biodegradable implant. Release kinetics were tuned by incorporating laponite in different film arrangements and with varying deposition techniques to achieve release of BMP-2 over 2 days, 4 days, 14 days, and 30 days. Delivery of a low dose (0.5 μg) of BMP-2 over 2 days and 30 days using these LbL film architectures was then compared in an in vivo rat critical size calvarial defect model to determine the effect of BMP-2 release kinetics on bone regeneration. After 6 weeks, sustained release of BMP-2 over 30 days induced 3.7 times higher bone volume and 7.4 times higher bone mineral density as compared with 2-day release of BMP-2, which did not induce more bone growth than the uncoated scaffold control. These findings represent a crucial step in the understanding of how BMP-2 release kinetics influence treatment efficacy and underscore the necessity to optimize protein delivery methods in clinical formulations for bone regeneration. This work could be applied to the delivery of other therapeutic proteins for which careful tuning of the release rate is a key optimization parameter.

High Molecular Weight Poly(glutamic acid) to Improve BMP2-Induced Osteogenic Differentiation.

FDA-approved bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) has serious side effects due to the super high dose requirement. Heparin is one of the most well-studied sulfated polymers to stabilize BMP2 and improve its functionality. However, the clinical use of heparin is questionable because of its undesired anticoagulant activity. Recent studies suggest that poly(glutamic acid) (pGlu) has the potential to improve BMP2 bioactivity with less safety concerns; however, the knowledge on pGlu's contribution remains largely unknown. Therefore, we aimed to study the role of pGlu in BMP2-induced osteogenesis and its potential application in bone tissue engineering. Our data, for the first time, indicated that both low (L-pGlu) and high molecular weight pGlu (H-pGlu) were able to significantly improve the BMP2-induced early osteoblastic differentiation marker (ALP) in MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts. Importantly, the matrix mineralization was more rapidly enhanced by H-pGlu compared to L-pGlu. Additionally, our data indicated that only α-H-pGlu could significantly improve BMP2's activity, whereas γ-H-pGlu failed to do so. Moreover, both gene expression and mineralization data demonstrated that α-H-pGlu enabled a single dose of BMP2 to induce a high level of osteoblastic differentiation without multiple doses of BMP2. To study the potential application of pGlu in tissue engineering, we incorporated the H-pGlu+BMP2 nanocomplexes into the collagen hydrogel with significantly elevated osteoblastic differentiation. Furthermore, H-pGlu-coated 3D porous gelatin and chitosan scaffolds significantly enhanced osteogenic differentiation through enabling sustained release of BMP2. Thus, our findings suggest that H-pGlu is a promising new alternative with great potential for bone tissue engineering applications.

BMP2-Mediated Silica Deposition: An Effective Strategy for Bone Mineralization.

The combined use of an osteogenic factor, such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), with a bone scaffold was quite functional for the reconstruction of bone defects. Although many studies using BMP2 have been done, there is still a need to develop an efficient way to apply BMP2 in the bone scaffold. Here, we reported an interesting fact that BMP2 has a silica deposition ability in the presence of silicic acid and proposed that such an ability of BMP2 can effectively immobilize and transport itself by a kind of coprecipitation of BMP2 with a silica matrix. The presence of BMP2 in the resulting silica was proved by SEM and EDS and was visualized by FITC-labeled BMP2. The delivery efficacy of BMP2 of silica-entrapped BMP2 on osteoblast differentiation and mineralization using MC3T3 E1 preosteoblast cells was evaluated in vitro. The coprecipitated BMP2 with silica exhibited osteogenesis at a low concentration that was insufficient to give an osteoinductive signal as the free form. Expectedly, the silica-entrapped BMP2 exhibited thermal stability over free BMP2. When applied to bone graft substitution, e.g., hydroxyapatite granules (HA), silica-entrapped BMP 2 laden HA (BMP2@Si/HA) showed sustained BMP2 release, whereas free BMP2 adsorbed HA by a simple dipping method (BMP2/HA) displayed a burst release of BMP2 at an initial time. In the rat critical-size calvarial defect model, BMP2@Si/HA showed better bone regeneration than BMP2/HA by about 10%. The BMP2/silica hybrid deposited on a carrier surface via BMP2-mediated silica precipitation demonstrated an increase in the loading efficiency, a decrease in the burst release of BMP2, and an increase in bone regeneration. Taken together, the coprecipitated BMP2 with a silica matrix has the advantages of not only being able to immobilize BMP2 efficiently without compromising its function but also serving as a stable carrier for BMP2 delivery.

Shape-Memory ECM-Mimicking Heparin-Modified Nanofibrous Gelatin Scaffold for Enhanced Bone Regeneration in Sinus Augmentation.

Biomaterials with clinical maneuverability and predictable bone regeneration are needed in the field of maxillary sinus augmentation. Herein, gelatin was chemically modified with heparin that specifically interacted with and stabilized bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). We then introduced thermally induced phase separation to form the injectable, shape-memory, highly porous scaffold for bone regeneration in sinus augmentation. The hydrated heparin-modified nanofibrous gelatin scaffolds (NH-GS) were demonstrated with high resilience and shape-memory property, both macroscopically and microscopically, making them injectable scaffolds and expected to be applied in sinus augmentation. This novel scaffold was verified to be biocompatible and an excellent matrix to support cell attachment, proliferation, and infiltration. Further, the growth factor-loaded NH-GS showed sustained release kinetics of BMP-2 through affinity-based scaffold-growth factor interaction, compared with BMP-2 loaded gelatin sponge (GS) and nanofibrous gelatin scaffold (NF). Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the BMP-2-loaded NH-GS exhibited the highest osteogenesis among the other groups. Taken together, this study introduces a new regenerative strategy in maxillary sinus augmentation, which is injectable with a predefined shape and structure and promotes bone regeneration through a more sustained BMP-2 release.

Incorporation of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 and Osteoprotegerin in 3D-Printed Ti6Al4V Scaffolds Enhances Osseointegration Under Osteoporotic Conditions.

Osteoporosis is an age-related metabolic disease that results in limited bone regeneration capacity and excessive osteoclast activity. After arthroplasty in patients with osteoporosis, poor interface osseointegration resulting from insufficient bone regeneration ability often leads to catastrophic complications such as prosthesis displacement and loosening and periprosthetic fractures. In this study, we prepared a thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) to promote osteogenesis and osteoprotegerin (OPG) to inhibit excessive osteoclast activity. To construct three-dimensional (3D)-printed composite scaffolds for implantation, a hydrogel loaded with drugs was injected into porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds. The 3D-printed composite scaffolds showed good biocompatibility and sustained release of BMP-2 and OPG for more than 20 days. In vitro experiments indicated that composite scaffolds promoted osteogenic differentiation and reduced the osteoclastic activation simultaneously. Remarkably, immunofluorescence staining, micro-CT, histological, and biomechanical tests demonstrated that the sustained release of both BMP-2 and OPG from composite scaffolds significantly improved bone ingrowth and osseointegration in osteoporotic defects. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the BMP-2- and OPG-loaded 3D-printed composite scaffolds can potentially promote osseointegration for osteoporotic patients after joint replacement.

Bisphosphonate-Conjugated Photo-Crosslinking Polyanionic Hyaluronic Acid Microbeads for Controlled BMP2 Delivery and Enhanced Bone Formation Efficacy.

In this study, we designed bisphosphonate-conjugated polyanionic hyaluronic acid (HA) microbeads (MBs) for the controlled delivery of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2). MBs were prepared via the photo-crosslinking of bisphosphonate (alendronate)-conjugated methacrylated HA (Alen-MHA). The polyanionic Alen-MHA MBs actively absorbed cationic BMP2 up to 91.0% of the loading efficacy and displayed a sustained release of BMP2 for 10 days. BMP2/Alen-MHA MBs induced osteogenic-related genes in cellular experiments and showed the highly increased bone formation efficacy in thigh muscle injection and rat spinal fusion animal models. Thus, BMP2/Alen-MHA MBs provide a promising opportunity to improve the delivery efficiency of BMP2.

Sustained Release of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 through Alginate Microbeads Enhances Bone Regeneration in Rabbit Tibial Metaphyseal Defect Model.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is widely used to enhance bone regeneration. However, because of its short half-life and rapid disappearance, large amounts of BMP-2 are needed, leading to unintended side effects. In this study, BMP-2-encapsulated alginate microbeads (AM) were used to enhance bone regeneration. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed the sustained release of BMP-2 from AM. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-adsorbing aptamer-conjugated hydroxyapatite (Apt-HA) was used for osteoconduction and dual delivery of VEGF and BMP-2. For in vivo bone regeneration evaluation, the grafts (1) Apt-HA + phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), (2) Apt-HA + AM without BMP-2, (3) Apt-HA + BMP-2, and (4) Apt-HA + AM encapsulated with BMP-2 were implanted into rabbit tibial metaphyseal defects. After four weeks, micro-computed tomography (CT), histological, and histomorphometric analyses were performed to evaluate bone regeneration. The Apt-HA + AM with BMP-2 group revealed a significantly higher new bone volume and bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) in both cortical and trabecular bone than the others. Furthermore, as evaluated by histomorphometric analysis, BMP-2 AM exhibited a significantly higher bone formation area than the others, indicating that AM could be used to efficiently deliver BMP-2 through sustained release. Moreover, the combined application of BMP-2-encapsulated Apt-HA + AM may effectively promote bone regeneration.

3D bioactive cell-free-scaffolds for in-vitro/in-vivo capture and directed osteoinduction of stem cells for bone tissue regeneration

Hydrophilic bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is easily degraded and difficult to load onto hydrophobic carrier materials, which limits the application of polyester materials in bone tissue engineering. Based on soybean-lecithin as an adjuvant biosurfactant, we designed a novel cell-free-scaffold of polymer of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-co-polyetherimide with abundant entrapped and continuously released BMP2 for in vivo stem cell-capture and in situ osteogenic induction, avoiding the use of exogenous cells. The optimized bioactive osteo-polyester scaffold (BOPSC), i.e. SBMP-10SC, had a high BMP2 entrapment efficiency of 95.35%. Due to its higher porosity of 83.42%, higher water uptake ratio of 850%, and sustained BMP2 release with polymer degradation, BOPSCs were demonstrated to support excellent in vitro capture, proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of mouse adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (mADSCs), and performed much better than traditional BMP-10SCs with unmodified BMP2 and single polyester scaffolds (10SCs). Furthermore, in vivo capture and migration of stem cells and differentiation into osteoblasts was observed in mice implanted with BOPSCs without exogenous cells, which enabled allogeneic bone formation with a high bone mineral density and ratios of new bone volume to existing tissue volume after 6 months. The BOPSC is an advanced 3D cell-free platform with sustained BMP2 supply for in situ stem cell capture and osteoinduction in bone tissue engineering with potential for clinical translation.

A novel nano-hydroxyapatite/synthetic polymer/bone morphogenetic protein-2 composite for efficient bone regeneration

BACKGROUNDEfficient bone regeneration using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is needed to reduce side effects caused by high-dose BMP-2 use. The composite material of polylactic acid–polyethene glycol (PLA-PEG) for sustained release and an osteogenic nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) can contribute to efficient bone regeneration by BMP-2. STUDY DESIGNAn experimental in vitro and in vivo study. PURPOSEThe objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a novel composite material of PLA-PEG and nHAp as a carrier for BMP-2. METHODSThe release kinetics of BMP-2 from the composites was investigated by ELISA. Thirty-six male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent posterolateral spinal fusion on L4–L5 with three different doses of BMP-2 (0 µg [control], 3 µg [low dose], and 10 µg [high dose]). Weekly µCT results and histology and a manual palpation test at 8 weeks postoperatively were used for assessment of the spinal fusion. RESULTSELISA demonstrated the sustained release of BMP-2 until day 21. µCT and manual palpation test demonstrated a solid fusion in 91.6% (11/12) of specimens in both the low- and high-dose groups. N mice in the control group attained bony fusion (0%, 0/9). nHAp was resorbed between 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively, and regenerated fusion mass at 8 weeks postoperatively consisted of only newly formed bone. CONCLUSIONSThe nHAp/PLA-PEG composite enabled efficient bone regeneration with low-dose BMP-2. The sustained release of BMP-2 by PLA-PEG and the osteogenic and biodegradable scaffold of nHAp might contribute to efficient bone regeneration. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEThis novel composite material has potential in clinical applications (spinal fusion, large bone defect and non-union) by enabling efficient bone formation by BMP-2.