ABSTRACT
Tissue engineering is the emerging science of design and manufacture of tissues including bones and joints. The three key ingredients for both tissue engineering and morphogenesis are inductive morphogenetic signals responding stem cells and the assembly of extracellular matrix. The long-term goal of our research is to produce spare parts for the human musculoskeletal tissues. Regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues recapitulates embryonic development and morphogenesis. Morphogenesis is the developmental cascade of pattern formation, body plan establishment leading to adult form and function. Therefore, signals involved in morphogenesis will be of utility in tissue engineering of bones and joints. Although bone and articular cartilage are adjacent tissues, there is marked difference in their regenerative potential. Bones has maximal regenerative potential; on the other hand cartilage is feeble. BMPs have pleiotropic roles in initial pattern formation, cell differentiation and main tenance of bone and articular cartilage. The regenerative potency of bone is due to bone mor phogenetic proteins (BMPs) in the bone matrix. BMPs act via BMP receptors and Smads 1, 3 and 8 to initiate lineage of cartilage and bone. The homeostasis of tissue engineered bone and cartilage is dependent on the interface of tissue extracellular matrix and biomechanics. The use of BMPs in gene therapy and isolation of stem cells and their microenvironmental niche of extracellular matrix results in functional bone and cartilage. In conclusion, these are exciting times in functional tissue engineering of bone.
