Growth and differentiation factors for periodontal regeneration: a review on factors with clinical testing

A large body of evidence implies that growth and differentiation factors, based on their ability to regulate various functions of cells originating in the periodontal tissues, may support periodontal wound healing/regeneration, creating an environment conducive to and/or immediately inducing de novo tissue formation. This study presents a short systematic overview on growth and differentiation factor technologies evaluated in the clinic for their potential to enhance periodontal wound healing/regeneration.

Reports on growth and differentiation factor technologies evaluated in the clinic for their potential to enhance periodontal wound healing/regeneration were selected for review.

Growth and differentiation factor technologies intended for periodontal wound healing/regeneration and evaluated clinically included platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I and -II, basic fibroblast growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein-3 and growth differentiation factor-5; platelet-derived growth factor was the only Food and Drug Administration-approved commercially available growth and differentiation factor technology. In general, enhanced periodontal regeneration was observed in sites receiving growth and differentiation factors compared with control(s). However, improvements of relatively limited clinical magnitude have been shown thus far.

Although growth and differentiation factors project considerable appeal as candidate technologies in support of periodontal wound healing/regeneration, current candidate and commercially available technologies enhance treatment outcomes only to a limited extent in clinical settings.