Combination Of Synthetic Peptides Derived From Bone Morphogenetic Proteins And Biomaterials For Medical Applications † H. Senta, E. Bergeron, O. Drevelle, H. Park and N. Faucheux* Cell-Biomaterial Biohybrid Systems, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnological Engineering, Universit´ e de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada A critical-size bone defect cannot repair itself. These defects are presently filled by bone grafts or with biomaterials that mimic bone properties. The activity of bone cells is modulated by cytokines like the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). This review described the peptides derived from BMPs or extracellular matrix proteins which can be immobilised on biomaterials to increase their action on bone cells and promote healing. However, the development of such materials requires peptides that can act in synergy. This requires the use of model surfaces to better understand how cells perceive biomaterials. La r´ eparation des pertes osseuses ne se fait pas au del` a d’une taille critique. Les greffes ou les biomat´ eriaux mimant les propri´ et´ es de ce tissu sont actuellement utilis´ es pour combler ces pertes. Les cellules osseuses sont r´ egul´ ees par de nombreuses cytokines, telles les prot´ eines mor- phog´ en´ etiques osseuses (BMPs). Cette revue de la litt´ erature d´ ecrit l’immobilisation sur les biomat´ eriaux de peptides d´ eriv´ es des BMPs ou des prot´ eines de la matrice extracellulaire qui permet leur action s´ elective pour favoriser une meilleure gu´ erison. Cependant, le d´ eveloppement de ces mat´ eriaux implique non seulement la s´ election de peptides agissant en synergie, mais aussi une meilleure connaissance des interactions cellules-biomat´ eriaux en utilisant des surfaces mod` eles. Keywords: self-assembled monolayers, biomimetic, osteoblast, bone, delivery system, peptide immobilisation INTRODUCTION B one is not just a mechanical support tissue, it is also the site of attachment for muscles, ligaments, and tendons and helps to protect vital organs. Bone marrow is also an essential site of haematopoiesis (Cohen, 2006). Bone remodelling continues throughout life due to the action of osteoblasts, which form the bone matrix, and osteoclasts, which resorb it (Clarke, 2008). Cytokines like the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) can induce the differentiation of osteoblasts from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) found within the stroma of the bone marrow (Abdal- lah and Kassem, 2008). BMPs can enable demineralised bone to induce new bone formation if implanted in ectopic sites in rodents (Urist, 1965; Urist and Strates, 1971). About 20 BMPs have been identified and characterised to date; they are all mem- bers of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-ˇ superfamily (Xiao et al., 2007; Bessa et al., 2008a). The discovery that BMPs are also involved in early embryonic patterning, cell differentiation, organogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and tissue regeneration has led to the suggestion that they may be renamed body morphogenetic proteins (Reddi, 2005). Several subfamilies of closely related lig- ands have been identified from differences in the sequences of their C-terminal cysteine knot domains: they are BMP-2/-4, BMP- 3, BMP-5/-6/-7/-8/-8b, BMP-9/-10, and BMP-12/-13/-14 (Senta et al., 2009). BMP-2/-4/-6/-7/-9 are the only BMPs that induce complete bone morphogenesis (Bessa et al., 2008a; Senta et al., 2009). Over half of the total mRNA in normal human intramem- branous bone encodes BMP-2, -5, -6, and -7, while BMP-3, -4, -8, and -9 each account for less than 10% (Suttapreyasri et al., 2006). BMP-2, -5, -6, and -9 are also found in human endochondral bone (Suttapreyasri et al., 2006). † This article belongs to Biomedical Engineering Special Series- Previous articles on this special series were published in 88#2, 88#6, 89#1. ∗ Author to whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail address: nathalie.faucheux@usherbrooke.ca Can. J. Chem. Eng. 89:227–239, 2011 © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering DOI 10.1002/cjce.20453 Published online 9 February 2011 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). | VOLUME 89, APRIL 2011 | | THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING | 227 |