Enhanced bone regeneration around dental implant with bone morphogenetic protein 2 gene and vascular endothelial growth factor protein delivery

Objective: To evaluate the synergistic effect of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP‐2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on the repair of bone defects around dental implants. Material and methods: Five groups of scaffold were fabricated by a freeze‐drying method, including pure chitosan/collagen scaffold; scaffold loaded with adenoviruses expressing BMP‐2, adenoviruses expressing VEGF, both adenoviruses expressing BMP‐2 and VEGF, VEGF protein and adenovirus expressing BMP‐2. In vitro studies examined whether bone marrow stromal cells were responsive to these scaffolds over time. Bone formation capacity, bone‐to‐implant contact, as well as removal torque values were investigated in vivo. Differences between the various groups were statistically analyzed using the one‐way analysis of variance test. Results: The in vitro study revealed a burst and rapid release of VEGF with a sustained high‐level expression of BMP‐2 in scaffold combined with VEGF protein and adenoviruses expressing BMP‐2. Histomorphometry demonstrated that scaffolds expressing BMP‐2 enhanced more bone formation compared with other groups; VEGF alone is insufficient to promote bone formation. New bone formation in the bone defects around dental implants, bone‐to‐implant contact and mean peak removal torque showed statistically significant difference for the adenoviral vector encoding human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Ad‐BMP‐2) and VEGF protein and adenovirus expressing BMP‐2 groups. Furthermore, scaffold combined with VEGF protein and Ad‐BMP‐2 represented the best outcomes in this model. Conclusions: A combination of BMP‐2 gene and VEGF protein could have a synergistic effect in promoting bone healing. To cite this article:
Luo T, Zhang W, Shi B, Cheng X, Zhang Y. Enhanced bone regeneration around dental implant with bone morphogenetic protein 2 gene and vascular endothelial growth factor protein delivery.
Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 23 , 2012 467–474.
doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2011.02164.x