Bone morphogenetic protein and bone morphogenetic protein gene family in bone formation and repair.

The bone morphogenetic proteins are secreted signalling molecules that belong to the transforming growth factor beta family of growth and differentiation factors. Individual bone morphogenetic proteins are prominent at many sites during embryogenesis and are likely to be key regulators of early development and organogenesis. In vertebrates, one of the functions of bone morphogenetic like proteins is to induce formation of bone, cartilage, and connective tissues associated with the skeleton. This osteoinductive ability has led to the use of bone morphogenetic proteins as therapeutic agents for creation of new bone useful in treatment of skeletal injuries and diseases, and in oral and maxillofacial applications.