[Bone morphogenetic protein (s) (BMP): structure and new functions]

Classical function of BMP was to induce cartilage and bone when implanted into animal skin or muscle. In spite of this remarkable function, which attracted the attention of clinicians, it took 37 years to obtain a FDA approval for clinical use ever since the discovery of BMP. This situation was contrast to the discovery of insulin that went directly to clinic and to Nobel Prize within only 2 years. There were two reasons why BMP took so long time before clinical application. (1) BMP is a cytokine, which works multi-functionally and is relating with many other factors. (2) BMP requires suitable carriers for reasonable bone induction. Design of the recommendable carrier required systematic understanding of the nature of artificial ECM. In addition to the classical function of bone induction, new functions as a morphogen were comparatively described in a table. Examples of the new functions includes developmental patterning of dorso-ventral axis of vertebrate embryo, formation of morphogen gradient in Drosophila embryo and the mechanism of feather - branching morphogenesis were introduced.