TY - JOUR A1 - Xu, Jietao A1 - Fahmy-Garcia, Shorouk A1 - Wesdorp, Marinus A. A1 - Kops, Nicole A1 - Forte, Lucia A1 - De Luca, Claudio A1 - Misciagna, Massimiliano Maraglino A1 - Dolcini, Laura A1 - Filardo, Giuseppe A1 - Labberté, Margot A1 - Vancíková, Karin A1 - Kok, Joeri A1 - van Rietbergen, Bert A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Farrell, Eric A1 - Brama, Pieter A. J. A1 - van Osch, Gerjo J. V. M. T1 - Effectiveness of BMP-2 and PDGF-BB adsorption onto a collagen/collagen-magnesium-hydroxyapatite scaffold in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing osteochondral defect bone repair: in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo evaluation JF - Journal of Functional Biomaterials N2 - Despite promising clinical results in osteochondral defect repair, a recently developed bi-layered collagen/collagen-magnesium-hydroxyapatite scaffold has demonstrated less optimal subchondral bone repair. This study aimed to improve the bone repair potential of this scaffold by adsorbing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and/or platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) onto said scaffold. The in vitro release kinetics of BMP-2/PDGF-BB demonstrated that PDGF-BB was burst released from the collagen-only layer, whereas BMP-2 was largely retained in both layers. Cell ingrowth was enhanced by BMP-2/PDFG-BB in a bovine osteochondral defect ex vivo model. In an in vivo semi-orthotopic athymic mouse model, adding BMP-2 or PDGF-BB increased tissue repair after four weeks. After eight weeks, most defects were filled with bone tissue. To further investigate the promising effect of BMP-2, a caprine bilateral stifle osteochondral defect model was used where defects were created in weight-bearing femoral condyle and non-weight-bearing trochlear groove locations. After six months, the adsorption of BMP-2 resulted in significantly less bone repair compared with scaffold-only in the femoral condyle defects and a trend to more bone repair in the trochlear groove. Overall, the adsorption of BMP-2 onto a Col/Col-Mg-HAp scaffold reduced bone formation in weight-bearing osteochondral defects, but not in non-weight-bearing osteochondral defects. KW - tissue engineering KW - regenerative medicine KW - osteochondral lesion KW - biocompatible materials KW - bone morphogenetic proteins KW - platelet-derived growth factor KW - animal model KW - weight-bearing Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304019 SN - 2079-4983 VL - 14 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Suliman, Salwa A1 - Sun, Yang A1 - Pedersen, Torbjorn O. A1 - Xue, Ying A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Waag, Thilo A1 - Finne-Wistrand, Anna A1 - Steinmüller-Nethl, Doris A1 - Krueger, Anke A1 - Costea, Daniela E. A1 - Mustafa, Kamal T1 - In vivo host response and degradation of copolymer scaffolds functionalized with nanodiamonds and bone morphogenetic protein 2 JF - Advanced Healthcare Materials N2 - The aim is to evaluate the effect of modifying poly[(L-lactide)-co-(epsilon-caprolactone)] scaffolds (PLCL) with nanodiamonds (nDP) or with nDP+physisorbed BMP-2 (nDP+BMP-2) on in vivo host tissue response and degradation. The scaffolds are implanted subcutaneously in Balb/c mice and retrieved after 1, 8, and 27 weeks. Molecular weight analysis shows that modified scaffolds degrade faster than the unmodified. Gene analysis at week 1 shows highest expression of proinflammatory markers around nDP scaffolds; although the presence of inflammatory cells and foreign body giant cells is more prominent around the PLCL. Tissue regeneration markers are highly expressed in the nDP+BMP-2 scaffolds at week 8. A fibrous capsule is detectable by week 8, thinnest around nDP scaffolds and at week 27 thickest around PLCL scaffolds. mRNA levels of ALP, COL1 alpha 2, and ANGPT1 are signifi cantly upregulating in the nDP+BMP-2 scaffolds at week 1 with ectopic bone seen at week 8. Even when almost 90% of the scaffold is degraded at week 27, nDP are observable at implantation areas without adverse effects. In conclusion, modifying PLCL scaffolds with nDP does not aggravate the host response and physisorbed BMP-2 delivery attenuates infl ammation while lowering the dose of BMP-2 to a relatively safe and economical level. KW - inflammatory response KW - biocompatibility KW - BMP-2 delivery KW - inflammation KW - tissue engineering Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189764 VL - 5 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Suliman, Salwa A1 - Mustafa, Kamal A1 - Krueger, Anke A1 - Steinmüller-Nethl, Doris A1 - Finne-Wistrand, Anna A1 - Osdal, Tereza A1 - Hamza, Amani O. A1 - Sun, Yang A1 - Parajuli, Himalaya A1 - Waag, Thilo A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Johannessen, Anne Christine A1 - McCormack, Emmet A1 - Costea, Daniela Elena T1 - Nanodiamond modified copolymer scaffolds affects tumour progression of early neoplastic oral keratinocytes JF - Biomaterials N2 - This study aimed to evaluate the tumorigenic potential of functionalising poly(LLA-co-CL) scaffolds. The copolymer scaffolds were functionalised with nanodiamonds (nDP) or with nDP and physisorbed BMP-2 (nDP-PHY) to enhance osteoinductivity. Culturing early neoplastic dysplastic keratinocytes (DOK\(^{Luc}\)) on nDP modified scaffolds reduced significantly their subsequent sphere formation ability and decreased significantly the cells' proliferation in the supra-basal layers of in vitro 3D oral neoplastic mucosa (3D-OT) when compared to DOK\(^{Luc}\) previously cultured on nDP-PHY scaffolds. Using an in vivo non-invasive environmentally-induced oral carcinogenesis model, nDP scaffolds were observed to reduce bioluminescence intensity of tumours formed by DOK\(^{Luc}\) + carcinoma associated fibroblasts (CAF). nDP modification was also found to promote differentiation of DOK\(^{Luc}\) both in vitro in 3D-OT and in vivo in xenografts formed by DOKLuc alone. The nDP-PHY scaffold had the highest number of invasive tumours formed by DOK\(^{Luc}\) + CAF outside the scaffold area compared to the nDP and control scaffolds. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo results presented here demonstrate that nDP modified copolymer scaffolds are able to decrease the tumorigenic potential of DOK\(^{Luc}\), while confirming concerns for the therapeutic use of BMP-2 for reconstruction of bone defects in oral cancer patients due to its tumour promoting capabilities. KW - Bone morphogenetic protein-2 KW - Sinus floor augmentation KW - Marrow stromal cells KW - Growth; BMP-2 KW - Tumorigenicity KW - Biodegradable polymer scaffolds KW - Mandibular continuity defects KW - Squamous-cell carcinoma KW - In-vitro KW - Mesenchymal transition KW - BMP-2 KW - Bone tissue engineering KW - Biocompatibility KW - Microenvironment KW - Oral squamous cell carcinoma Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188287 VL - 95 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stuckensen, Kai A1 - Lamo-Espinosa, José M. A1 - Muiños-López, Emma A1 - Ripalda-Cemboráin, Purificación A1 - López-Martínez, Tania A1 - Iglesias, Elena A1 - Abizanda, Gloria A1 - Andreu, Ion A1 - Flandes-Iparraguirre, María A1 - Pons-Villanueva, Juan A1 - Elizalde, Reyes A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Ewald, Andrea A1 - Gbureck, Uwe A1 - Prósper, Felipe A1 - Groll, Jürgen A1 - Granero-Moltó, Froilán T1 - Anisotropic cryostructured collagen scaffolds for efficient delivery of RhBMP−2 and enhanced bone regeneration JF - Materials N2 - In the treatment of bone non-unions, an alternative to bone autografts is the use of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), e.g., BMP–2, BMP–7, with powerful osteoinductive and osteogenic properties. In clinical settings, these osteogenic factors are applied using absorbable collagen sponges for local controlled delivery. Major side effects of this strategy are derived from the supraphysiological doses of BMPs needed, which may induce ectopic bone formation, chronic inflammation, and excessive bone resorption. In order to increase the efficiency of the delivered BMPs, we designed cryostructured collagen scaffolds functionalized with hydroxyapatite, mimicking the structure of cortical bone (aligned porosity, anisotropic) or trabecular bone (random distributed porosity, isotropic). We hypothesize that an anisotropic structure would enhance the osteoconductive properties of the scaffolds by increasing the regenerative performance of the provided rhBMP–2. In vitro, both scaffolds presented similar mechanical properties, rhBMP–2 retention and delivery capacity, as well as scaffold degradation time. In vivo, anisotropic scaffolds demonstrated better bone regeneration capabilities in a rat femoral critical-size defect model by increasing the defect bridging. In conclusion, anisotropic cryostructured collagen scaffolds improve bone regeneration by increasing the efficiency of rhBMP–2 mediated bone healing. KW - rhBMP–2 KW - collagen sponge KW - cryostructured scaffolds KW - bone critical size defect Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195966 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 12 IS - 19 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Siverino, Claudia A1 - Fahmy-Garcia, Shorouk A1 - Niklaus, Viktoria A1 - Kops, Nicole A1 - Dolcini, Laura A1 - Misciagna, Massimiliano Maraglino A1 - Ridwan, Yanto A1 - Farrell, Eric A1 - van Osch, Gerjo J. V. M. A1 - Nickel, Joachim T1 - Addition of heparin binding sites strongly increases the bone forming capabilities of BMP9 in vivo JF - Bioactive Materials N2 - Highlights • Despite not being crucial for bone development BMP9 can induce bone growth in vivo. • BMP9 induced bone formation is strongly enhanced by introduced heparin binding sites. • BMP9s bone forming capabilities are triggered by extracellular matrix binding. • Heparin binding BMP9 (BMP9 HB) can improve the current therapies in treating bone fractures. Abstract Bone Morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) like BMP2 and BMP7 have shown great potential in the treatment of severe bone defects. In recent in vitro studies, BMP9 revealed the highest osteogenic potential compared to other BMPs, possibly due to its unique signaling pathways that differs from other osteogenic BMPs. However, in vivo the bone forming capacity of BMP9-adsorbed scaffolds is not superior to BMP2 or BMP7. In silico analysis of the BMP9 protein sequence revealed that BMP9, in contrast to other osteogenic BMPs such as BMP2, completely lacks so-called heparin binding motifs that enable extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions which in general might be essential for the BMPs' osteogenic function. Therefore, we genetically engineered a new BMP9 variant by adding BMP2-derived heparin binding motifs to the N-terminal segment of BMP9′s mature part. The resulting protein (BMP9 HB) showed higher heparin binding affinity than BMP2, similar osteogenic activity in vitro and comparable binding affinities to BMPR-II and ALK1 compared to BMP9. However, remarkable differences were observed when BMP9 HB was adsorbed to collagen scaffolds and implanted subcutaneously in the dorsum of rats, showing a consistent and significant increase in bone volume and density compared to BMP2 and BMP9. Even at 10-fold lower BMP9 HB doses bone tissue formation was observed. This innovative approach of significantly enhancing the osteogenic properties of BMP9 simply by addition of ECM binding motifs, could constitute a valuable replacement to the commonly used BMPs. The possibility to use lower protein doses demonstrates BMP9 HB's high translational potential. KW - bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) KW - heparin binding sites KW - bone regeneration KW - subcutaneous animal model Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350470 VL - 29 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Siverino, Claudia A1 - Fahmy-Garcia, Shorouk A1 - Mumcuoglu, Didem A1 - Oberwinkler, Heike A1 - Muehlemann, Markus A1 - Mueller, Thomas A1 - Farrell, Eric A1 - van Osch, Gerjo J. V. M. A1 - Nickel, Joachim T1 - Site-directed immobilization of an engineered bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) variant to collagen-based microspheres induces bone formation in vivo JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - For the treatment of large bone defects, the commonly used technique of autologous bone grafting presents several drawbacks and limitations. With the discovery of the bone-inducing capabilities of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), several delivery techniques were developed and translated to clinical applications. Implantation of scaffolds containing adsorbed BMP2 showed promising results. However, off-label use of this protein-scaffold combination caused severe complications due to an uncontrolled release of the growth factor, which has to be applied in supraphysiological doses in order to induce bone formation. Here, we propose an alternative strategy that focuses on the covalent immobilization of an engineered BMP2 variant to biocompatible scaffolds. The new BMP2 variant harbors an artificial amino acid with a specific functional group, allowing a site-directed covalent scaffold functionalization. The introduced artificial amino acid does not alter BMP2′s bioactivity in vitro. When applied in vivo, the covalently coupled BMP2 variant induces the formation of bone tissue characterized by a structurally different morphology compared to that induced by the same scaffold containing ab-/adsorbed wild-type BMP2. Our results clearly show that this innovative technique comprises translational potential for the development of novel osteoinductive materials, improving safety for patients and reducing costs. KW - bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) KW - bone regeneration KW - covalent coupling KW - subcutaneous animal model Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284572 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 23 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seher, Axel A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Mueller, Thomas D. A1 - Kneitz, Susanne A1 - Gebhardt, Susanne A1 - Meyer ter Vehn, Tobias A1 - Schlunck, Guenther A1 - Sebald, Walter T1 - Gene expression profiling of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) stimulated primary human tenon fibroblasts reveals an inflammatory and wound healing response in vitro JF - Molecular Vision N2 - Purpose: The biologic relevance of human connective tissue growth factor (hCTGF) for primary human tenon fibroblasts (HTFs) was investigated by RNA expression profiling using affymetrix (TM) oligonucleotide array technology to identify genes that are regulated by hCTGF. Methods: Recombinant hCTGF was expressed in HEK293T cells and purified by affinity and gel chromatography. Specificity and biologic activity of hCTGF was confirmed by biosensor interaction analysis and proliferation assays. For RNA expression profiling HTFs were stimulated with hCTGF for 48h and analyzed using affymetrix (TM) oligonucleotide array technology. Results were validated by real time RT-PCR. Results: hCTGF induces various groups of genes responsible for a wound healing and inflammatory response in HTFs. A new subset of CTGF inducible inflammatory genes was discovered (e.g., chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 1 [CXCL1], chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 6 [CXCL6], interleukin 6 [IL6], and interleukin 8 [IL8]). We also identified genes that can transmit the known biologic functions initiated by CTGF such as proliferation and extracellular matrix remodelling. Of special interest is a group of genes, e.g., osteoglycin (OGN) and osteomodulin (OMD), which are known to play a key role in osteoblast biology. Conclusions: This study specifies the important role of hCTGF for primary tenon fibroblast function. The RNA expression profile yields new insights into the relevance of hCTGF in influencing biologic processes like wound healing, inflammation, proliferation, and extracellular matrix remodelling in vitro via transcriptional regulation of specific genes. The results suggest that CTGF potentially acts as a modulating factor in inflammatory and wound healing response in fibroblasts of the human eye. KW - Bone morphogenetic protein-2 KW - Smooth-muscle-cells KW - Myofibroblast differentiation KW - TGF-beta KW - CYR61 KW - Proliferation KW - Mechanisms KW - Apoptosis KW - Receptor KW - Cancer Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-140189 VL - 17 IS - 08. Okt ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seher, Axel A1 - Lagler, Charlotte A1 - Stühmer, Thorsten A1 - Müller-Richter, Urs Dietmar Achim A1 - Kübler, Alexander Christian A1 - Sebald, Walter A1 - Müller, Thomas Dieter A1 - Nickel, Joachim T1 - Utilizing BMP-2 muteins for treatment of multiple myeloma JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Multiple myeloma (MM) represents a haematological cancer characterized by the pathological hyper proliferation of antibody-producing B-lymphocytes. Patients typically suffer from kidney malfunction and skeletal disorders. In the context of MM, the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) member Activin A was recently identified as a promoter of both accompanying symptoms. Because studies have shown that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2-mediated activities are counteracted by Activin A, we analysed whether BMP2, which also binds to the Activin A receptors ActRII and ActRIIB but activates the alternative SMAD-1/5/8 pathway, can be used to antagonize Activin A activities, such as in the context of MM. Therefore three BMP2 derivatives were generated with modified binding activities for the type II (ActRIIB) and/or type I receptor (BMPRIA) showing either increased or decreased BMP2 activity. In the context of MM these BMP2 muteins show two functionalities since they act as a) an anti-proliferative/apoptotic agent against neoplastic B-cells, b) as a bone-formation promoting growth factor. The molecular basis of both activities was shown in two different cellular models to clearly rely on the properties of the investigated BMP2 muteins to compete for the binding of Activin A to the Activin type II receptors. The experimental outcome suggests new therapeutic strategies using BMP2 variants in the treatment of MM-related pathologies. KW - multiple myeloma KW - signaling KW - cell proliferation KW - cell binding KW - membrane receptor signaling KW - BMP KW - gene expression KW - B cell receptors KW - B cells Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158144 VL - 12 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schliermann, Anna A1 - Nickel, Joachim T1 - Unraveling the connection between fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein signaling JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Ontogeny of higher organisms as well the regulation of tissue homeostasis in adult individuals requires a fine-balanced interplay of regulating factors that individually trigger the fate of particular cells to either stay undifferentiated or to differentiate towards distinct tissue specific lineages. In some cases, these factors act synergistically to promote certain cellular responses, whereas in other tissues the same factors antagonize each other. However, the molecular basis of this obvious dual signaling activity is still only poorly understood. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are two major signal protein families that have a lot in common: They are both highly preserved between different species, involved in essential cellular functions, and their ligands vastly outnumber their receptors, making extensive signal regulation necessary. In this review we discuss where and how BMP and FGF signaling cross paths. The compiled data reflect that both factors synchronously act in many tissues, and that antagonism and synergism both exist in a context-dependent manner. Therefore, by challenging a generalization of the connection between these two pathways a new chapter in BMP FGF signaling research will be introduced. KW - bone morphogenetic protein KW - fibroblast growth factor KW - signal transduction KW - cross-talk KW - signal integration Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177358 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 19 IS - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Mueller, Thomas D. T1 - Specification of BMP signaling JF - Cells N2 - Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) together with the Growth and Differentiation Factors (GDFs) form the largest subgroup of the Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)β family and represent secreted growth factors, which play an essential role in many aspects of cell communication in higher organisms. As morphogens they exert crucial functions during embryonal development, but are also involved in tissue homeostasis and regeneration in the adult organism. Their involvement in maintenance and repair processes of various tissues and organs made these growth factors highly interesting targets for novel pharmaceutical applications in regenerative medicine. A hallmark of the TGFβ protein family is that all of the more than 30 growth factors identified to date signal by binding and hetero-oligomerization of a very limited set of transmembrane serine-threonine kinase receptors, which can be classified into two subgroups termed type I and type II. Only seven type I and five type II receptors exist for all 30plus TGFβ members suggesting a pronounced ligand-receptor promiscuity. Indeed, many TGFβ ligands can bind the same type I or type II receptor and a particular receptor of either subtype can usually interact with and bind various TGFβ ligands. The possible consequence of this ligand-receptor promiscuity is further aggravated by the finding that canonical TGFβ signaling of all family members seemingly results in the activation of just two distinct signaling pathways, that is either SMAD2/3 or SMAD1/5/8 activation. While this would implicate that different ligands can assemble seemingly identical receptor complexes that activate just either one of two distinct pathways, in vitro and in vivo analyses show that the different TGFβ members exert quite distinct biological functions with high specificity. This discrepancy indicates that our current view of TGFβ signaling initiation just by hetero-oligomerization of two receptor subtypes and transduction via two main pathways in an on-off switch manner is too simplified. Hence, the signals generated by the various TGFβ members are either quantitatively interpreted using the subtle differences in their receptor-binding properties leading to ligand-specific modulation of the downstream signaling cascade or additional components participating in the signaling activation complex allow diversification of the encoded signal in a ligand-dependent manner at all cellular levels. In this review we focus on signal specification of TGFβ members, particularly of BMPs and GDFs addressing the role of binding affinities, specificities, and kinetics of individual ligand-receptor interactions for the assembly of specific receptor complexes with potentially distinct signaling properties. KW - TGFβ/BMP signaling KW - ligand-receptor promiscuity KW - signal specification Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193869 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 8 IS - 12 ER -