Dep. Bioquímica y Biología Molecular II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18(27):4114-25. doi: 10.2174/138161212802430503.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the TGF-β superfamily and were first discovered as potent bone homeostasis regulators for their ability to induce endochondral bone formation, ectopic bone formation and fracture repair. A preeminent role of BMP signaling in developmental control of cell type specification, differentiation and organogenesis is also well established. More recently, a role for BMPs in adult tissue homeostasis has started being revealed. Thus, new studies show that BMPs regulate many cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and migration in many tissues and organs. As a consequence, dysregulation of BMP activity can have pathological consequences, and there is mounting evidence for the involvement of BMPs in different human diseases. In this review, we have focused on summarizing the present knowledge on the relevance of BMPs in liver physiology and pathophysiology, from the well-recognized role in liver development to the emerging contribution to the function and dysfunction of the adult liver. While no doubts seem to rise about the regulatory activities of BMPs on metabolic pathways in the liver, potential pro- and anti-fibrogenic and tumorigenic actions will likely be a matter of debate during coming years. Collectively, the work here presented provides the basis to consider BMPs as potential targets of intervention in liver diseases.
骨形态发生蛋白（BMPs）属于 TGF-β超家族，最初因其诱导软骨内骨形成、异位骨形成和骨折修复的能力而被发现是强有力的骨稳态调节剂。BMP 信号在细胞类型特化、分化和器官发生的发育控制中的突出作用也已得到充分证实。最近，BMPs 在成人组织稳态中的作用开始显现。因此，新的研究表明，BMPs 在许多组织和器官中调节许多细胞过程，如增殖、凋亡、分化和迁移。因此，BMP 活性的失调可能会产生病理后果，越来越多的证据表明 BMPs 参与了不同的人类疾病。在这篇综述中，我们重点总结了 BMPs 在肝脏生理学和病理生理学中的相关性的现有知识，从其在肝脏发育中的公认作用到其对成年肝脏功能和功能障碍的新兴贡献。虽然关于 BMPs 在肝脏代谢途径中的调节作用似乎没有疑问，但在未来几年，它们的潜在促纤维化、抗纤维化和致瘤作用可能是一个争论的问题。总之，这里介绍的工作为将 BMPs 作为肝脏疾病干预的潜在靶点提供了依据。
