Slobodan Vukicevic Livres

From the basic science to potential and approved clinical applications the most recent data in the rapidly growing field of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are summarized in this topical volume. Distinguished scientists present reviews on a range of scientific topics, including biochemistry, biology, molecular biology and preclinical animal studies on spinal fusion, cartilage repair, craniofacial and dental reconstruction using BMPs, as well as approved clinical applications in human bone non-unions. This book provides a resource not only for experts in the field, but also for undergraduate students, newcomers and clinicians worldwide, given that the use of BMPs in orthopedic reconstruction has been already approved in Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Since the discovery of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) over 15 years ago, there has been a remarkable surge in both basic scientific findings and clinical applications globally. BMPs play a crucial role in various developmental processes and organ regeneration, including bone, kidney, brain, liver, and heart, making them a focal point of scientific research. This volume covers their involvement in development, biology, signal transduction, kidney regeneration, central nervous system functions, craniofacial reconstruction, joint and cartilage repair, long bone non-unions, acute fractures, and spinal fusion, with insights from leading experts. For the first time, the role of BMPs in carcinogenesis is examined, offering a rationale for their application in treating bone tumors. The successful treatment of over 10,000 patients with BMPs for skeletal malformations has generated optimism and opened new avenues for their use. The next significant challenge is using BMPs to regenerate articular cartilage defects and assist patients with acute and chronic renal failure. The volume editors express gratitude to all authors for their prompt contributions, ensuring the content remains current for those interested in regenerative medicine.

Tissue engineering is gaining interest as it is applied for regeneration of organs to attain their lost function. Although resorbable scaffolds and progenitor cell types are required principles to engineer a functional tissue locally, the inductive signal is a prerequisite to trigger the growth and differentiation of responding cells in space and time. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), also called growth and differentiation factors (GDFs), originally identified from bone have been successfully used to regenerate the bone in humans. Most recent preclinical data suggests that BMPs have a potential to provide protection against inflammation and fibrosis in acute and chronic injury of parenchymal tissues when applied systemically to sustain the function of kidney and liver. The application of BMPs from a local to systemic utility is a rapidly growing field, gaining interest among researchers and biotech entrepreneurs. In this volume, we summarize the advances made on the local and systemic use of BMPs including chapters covering the regulation of BMP-signalling pathways, biological actions of BMPs in bone, cartilage and teeth, as well as clinical applications and potential systemic use of BMPs for tissues beyond bone. This volume is of interest to researchers from immunology, cell biology, biochemistry, and clinicians from orthopedics and dentistry, as well as to research managers from biotech and pharmaceutical companies.