Wolfman N M, Hattersley G, Cox K, Celeste A J, Nelson R, Yamaji N, Dube J L, DiBlasio-Smith E, Nove J, Song J J, Wozney J M, Rosen V
Genetics Institute, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, USA.
J Clin Invest. 1997 Jul 15;100(2):321-30. doi: 10.1172/JCI119537.
Little is known about the regulatory signals involved in tendon and ligament formation, and this lack of understanding has hindered attempts to develop biologically based therapies for tendon and ligament repair. Here we report that growth and differentiation factors (GDFs) 5, 6, and 7, members of the TGF-beta gene superfamily that are most related to the bone morphogenetic proteins, induce neotendon/ligament formation when implanted at ectopic sites in vivo. Analysis of tissue induced by GDF-5, 6, or 7, containing implants by currently available morphological and molecular criteria used to characterize tendon and ligament, adds further evidence to the idea that these GDFs act as signaling molecules during embryonic tendon/ligament formation. In addition, comparative in situ localizations of the GDF-5, 6, and 7 mRNAs suggest that these molecules are important regulatory components of synovial joint morphogenesis.
关于肌腱和韧带形成过程中涉及的调控信号，人们了解甚少，而这种认知的不足阻碍了开发基于生物学的肌腱和韧带修复疗法的尝试。在此我们报告，生长分化因子（GDFs）5、6和7，即TGF-β基因超家族中与骨形态发生蛋白关系最为密切的成员，当在体内异位植入时可诱导新肌腱/韧带形成。通过目前用于表征肌腱和韧带的形态学和分子标准对含有GDF-5、6或7植入物所诱导的组织进行分析，进一步证明了这些GDFs在胚胎肌腱/韧带形成过程中作为信号分子发挥作用。此外，GDF-5、6和7 mRNA的比较原位定位表明，这些分子是滑膜关节形态发生的重要调控成分。
