The main challenge in bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2)-based application lies in finding strategies to prolong its biologic activity as it has a short biological half-life. The present study uses a phosphate-modified oligo[(polyethylene glycol) fumarate] hydrogel that can be tuned to achieve differential release profiles of biologically active BMP-2 release. We demonstrate that this platform outperforms Infuse®, currently used in the clinic and that the osteoinductive effect of BMP-2 is location dependent. Altogether, this study stresses the importance of evaluating efficacy of bone tissue engineering strategies at an orthotopic location rather than subcutaneously. Even more so, it emphasizes the role of biomaterials as a scaffold to achieve proper bone tissue engineering.
Keywords: application sites; bone morphogenetic protein 2; bone tissue engineering; oligo[(polyethylene glycol) fumarate].