Evaluation of collagen/heparin coated TCP/HA granules for long-term delivery of BMP-2

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are the most potent osteoinductive growth factors. However, a delivery system is essential to take advantage of the osteoinductive effect of BMPs. The purpose of this study was to develop a sustained delivery system for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). We covalently attached heparin to a cross-linked collagen type I coated tricalciumphosphate/hydroxyapatite (TCP/HA) bone substitute and subsequently loaded it with BMP-2. To systematically evaluate the contribution of each component with respect to the binding and release of BMP-2, six constructs were prepared and characterized: TCP/HA, TCP/HA with collagen (TCP/HACol), and TCP/HA with collagen and heparin (TCP/HAColHep) with and without BMP-2 (B). More BMP-2 bound to the TCP/HAColHep + B (92.9 ± 4.8 ng BMP-2/mg granule) granules as compared to the TCP/HACol + B (69.0 ± 9.6 ng BMP-2/mg granule) and TCP/HA + B granules (62.9 ± 5.4 ng BMP-2/mg granule). No difference in release pattern was found between the TCP/HA + B and TCP/HACol + B granules. Up to day 14, BMP-2 was still bound to the TCP/HAColHep + B granules, whereas most BMP had been released from TCP/HACol + B and TCP/HA + B granules at that time. After 21 days most BMP-2 also had been released from the TCP/HAColHep + B granules. The local and sustained delivery system for BMP-2 developed in this study may be useful as a carrier for BMP-2 and could possibly enhance bone regeneration efficacy for the treatment of large bone defects.