Induction of BMP-2 in periodontal ligament cells by calcium-based biomaterial

Deep caries, severe periodontal diseases, and irreversible trauma cause irretrievable damage to the periodontium, resulting in tooth loss. Many people worldwide are afflicted with these diseases, and thus experience a decreased quality of life. Therefore, researchers have attempted to address this situation by focusing on tissue engineering techniques. The periodontium is mainly composed of two hard tissues and two soft tissues; the former includes alveolar bone and cementum covering the surface of the tooth root, and the latter includes periodontal ligament (PDL) tissue and gingival tissue. In particular, PDL is a specialized, localized connective tissue that bridges the alveolar bone and cementum. Accordingly, complicated growth regulations of these four tissues are required to attain the regeneration of periodontium. Notably, sufficient acquisition of both alveolar bone and PDL tissue is principal in periodontium reconstruction, because severe damage of these tissues elicits extremely difficult regeneration. So far, the potential effects of BMP-2,-4,-6,-7 (OP-1),-12 (GDF7),-13 (GDF6), and-14 (GDF5) on the regeneration of periodontium have been reported. Above all, the promising potency of BMP-2 is well documented in terms of regeneration. In this chapter, we describe the efficacy and prospective roles of BMPs in periodontium regeneration and the potency of calcium-based biomaterial in induction of BMP-2 expression in PDL cells.