Kaplan F S, Shore E M
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Biochem Pharmacol. 1998 Feb 15;55(4):373-82. doi: 10.1016/s0006-2952(97)00559-5.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of a class of ancient, highly conserved signalling molecules that play major roles in embryonic axis determination, organ development, tissue repair, and regeneration throughout the animal kingdom. The bone morphogenetic proteins are potent developmental morphogens that act in a concentration-dependent manner to specify cell fates in developing and regenerating systems. Complementary DNAs have been cloned for approximately twenty BMPs, and recombinant proteins have been produced for many of these genes. Transgenic and naturally occurring animal models demonstrate a wide variety of potential functions for BMP genes during development and tissue regeneration, and a wide range of pharmacologic effects are predicted from knock-out or over-expression of the BMP genes. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a rare and devastating genetic disease of ectopic osteogenesis in humans, is associated with over-expression of at least one of the BMPs. The BMPs, their transmembrane receptors, their intracellular signal transducers, and their secreted antagonists hold great promise as pharmacologic agents in modulating a vast array of developmental and regenerative pathways in human diseases.
骨形态发生蛋白（BMPs）是一类古老的、高度保守的信号分子，在整个动物界的胚胎轴确定、器官发育、组织修复和再生中发挥着重要作用。骨形态发生蛋白是强大的发育形态发生素，以浓度依赖的方式在发育和再生系统中指定细胞命运。已经克隆了大约20种BMP的互补DNA，并且已经为其中许多基因生产了重组蛋白。转基因和天然存在的动物模型证明了BMP基因在发育和组织再生过程中的多种潜在功能，并且通过敲除或过表达BMP基因预测了广泛的药理作用。进行性骨化性纤维发育不良（FOP）是一种罕见且具有破坏性的人类异位骨化遗传病，与至少一种BMP的过表达有关。BMPs、它们的跨膜受体、它们的细胞内信号转导器以及它们分泌的拮抗剂作为调节人类疾病中大量发育和再生途径的药物具有巨大的前景。
