Silk nanoparticles for delivery of human BMP-2 in bone regenerative medicine applications

[Excerpt] A tissue engineering approach combines the use of scaffold biomaterials, stem cells and growth factors. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are growth factors that have sparked a great interest in tissue engineering due to their strong ability to promote new bone formation. Herein, we report the use of silk derived nanoparticles as carriers for delivery of human BMP-2. Silks are attractive biomaterials for tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility, slow biodegradability and excellent mechanical properties. Recombinant human BMP-2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography, showing bioactivity in human adipose stem cells. BMP2-containing silk particles were then prepared by a water-in-oil emulsion method. [...]