Bone morphogenetic proteins: Signaling periodontal bone regeneration and repair

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of growth factors also known as cytokines and as metabologens. Originally discovered by their ability to induce the formation of bone and cartilage, BMPs are now considered to constitute a group of pivotal morphogenetic signals, orchestrating tissue architecture throughout the body. The important functioning of BMP signals in physiology is emphasized by the multitude of roles for dysregulated BMP signaling in pathological processes. A study done wherein it was found that protein extracts from bone implanted into the animals at nonbone sites induced the formation of new cartilage and bone tissue. This protein extract contained multiple factors that stimulated bone formation and was termed as “BMP.” There are at least 15 different BMPs identified to date and are a part of the transforming growth factor-β super family. The most widely studied BMPs are BMP-2, BMP-3 (osteogenin), BMP-4, and BMP-7 (osteogenic protein-1). Now, any recombination type of morphogenic proteins have been synthesized, for example - recombinant human BMPs.