Effects of a new bone-inducing biomaterial on mesenchymal cells in vitro

A purified bone-inducing protein complex (BIC), isolated from bovine bone and causing de novo bone formation in vivo, induces defined effects on rat mesenchymal cells in vitro. Spindle-like mesenchymal cells growing in monolayers change to polygonal cells, forming a multilayered growth pattern. The mesenchymal cells acquire alkaline phosphatase activity. Upon culture with BIC, the typical collagen Type III deposition of these mesenchymal cells is remarkably reduced whereas the collagen Type I expression remains unaffected. All these in vitro effects are consistent with the strong bone-forming capacity of BIC in vivo. A combination of two cytokines, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), shows a similar activity to BIC. Neutralizing anti-TGF beta antibodies interfere with all in vitro effects of BIC. The neutralization of BIC and the inductive capacity of the combination of TGF beta 1 plus EGF point to the substantial role of TGF beta or TGF beta-like molecules in BIC; whether the active polypeptides are identical to TGF beta or somewhat structurally homologous to TGF beta remains to be elucidated.