Fibrosis is a scarring process that is a common feature of chronic organ injury. It is characterized by elevated activity of transforming growth factor-beta resulting in increased and altered deposition of extracellular matrix and other fibrosis-associated proteins. Recent work has demonstrated that bone morphogenetic protein-7 blocks transforming growth factor-beta signaling. Moreover, member ...

BACKGROUND Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a heritable disorder of connective tissue characterized by congenital malformation of the great toes and postnatal formation of ectopic bone. Although the disorder was first described more than 300 years ago, the genetic defect and pathophysiology remain unknown. Bone morphogenetic proteins are potent bone-inducing morphogens that participate ...

OBJECTIVES Hypervitaminosis A and alcoholism can result in a low mineral density and compromised regenerative capacity of bone, thus delaying implant osteointegration. The inhibitory effect of all-trans retinoic acid on osteoblastogenesis is considered to be one of the mechanisms. We hypothesized that heterodimeric bone morphogenetic protein-2/7 could antagonize all-trans retinoic acid and enha...

Extracellular production of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7) was carried out through the fermentation of Bacillus subtilis. Three significant fermentation conditions and medium components were selected and optimized to enhance the rhBMP-7 production by using the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum values of the three variables for the maximum extracellular pr...