Bone morphogenetic protein

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Bone Morphogenetic Protein

Bone morphogenetic protein (pronounced: bohn mor-foh-jeh-net-ik proh-teen), often abbreviated as BMP, is a group of growth factors known as cytokines and as such, part of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. The etymology of the term comes from the Greek words "morph" meaning shape, "genesis" meaning creation, and "protein" which is a compound of proteios, meaning primary.

Function

Bone morphogenetic proteins are involved in a wide range of developmental processes. They stimulate bone and cartilage growth, embryogenesis, and cell differentiation. BMPs are also involved in the development of the nervous system, heart, kidney, and other tissues.

Types

There are at least 20 different types of BMPs discovered to date. The most well-known and widely studied are BMP-2, BMP-4, BMP-6, BMP-7, and BMP-9. Each type has a unique role in the body, but all are involved in the process of bone and cartilage formation.

Clinical Significance

BMPs have significant clinical applications. They are used in various therapeutic strategies, such as bone grafts, spinal fusion, and treatment of bone fractures. BMPs have also been implicated in certain diseases, including fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a rare genetic disorder that causes soft tissues to turn into bone.

See Also

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