Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) that have the potential to elicit new bone in vivo have been used in a tissue-engineering approach for the repair of bone injuries and bone defects. Although it is now possible to generate large amounts of recombinant human (rh) BMPs for medical use, the major challenge remains in the development of optimal local delivery systems for these proteins. Here we describe the development of a synthetic biodegradable polymer, poly-d,l-lactic acid–p-dioxanone–polyethylene glycol block copolymer (PLA-DX-PEG). This polymer exhibits promising degradation characteristics for BMP delivery systems and good biocompatibility under test conditions. PLA-DX-PEG/rhBMP-2 composite implants induced ectopic new bone formation effectively when tested in vivo, and can repair large bone defects orthotopically. This polymeric delivery system represents an advance in the technology for the enhancement of bone repair.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan, a grant from the Japan Rheumatism Foundation, and a grant from the Hip Joint Foundation of Japan.
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Saito, N., Okada, T., Horiuchi, H. et al. A biodegradable polymer as a cytokine delivery system for inducing bone formation. Nat Biotechnol 19, 332–335 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/86715
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/86715
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