Bone morphogenetic proteins: Their role in regulating osteoclast differentiation

The ability to create recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in recent years has led to their rise as a common clinical adjuvant. Their application varies, from spinal fixation to repairing palatal clefts, to coating implants for osseointegration. In recent years questions have been raised as to the efficacy of BMPs in several of these procedures. These questions are due to the unwanted side effect of BMPs on other cell types, such as osteoclasts which can resorb bone at the graft/implant site. However, most BMP research focuses on the anabolic osteoinductive effects of BMPs on osteoblasts rather than its counterpart- stimulation of the osteoclasts, which are cells responsible for resorbing bone. In this review, we discuss the data available from multiple in-vitro and in-vivo BMP-related knockout models to elucidate the different functions BMPs have on osteoclast differentiation and activity.