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Updated: May 4, 2026

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Bone Regeneration with Vascularized Artificial Cartilage Integration
Published on: July 14, 2023
Injectable gel graft for bone defect repair
Josephine Fang1, Zhi Yang, ShihJye Tan
1Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keck Medical School, University of Southern California, 1333 San Pablo St, BMT 302A, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9112, USA.
Aim:
To examine the performance of an injectable gel graft made of transglutaminase (Tg)-crosslinked gelatin gel with BMP-2 (BMP-2-Tg-Gel) for bone defect repair in animal models.
Materials & Methods:
BMP-2 mixed with gelatin gel was crosslinked using Tg. The release of tethered BMP-2 through autocrine and paracrine pathways was demonstrated by using C2C12 and NIH 3T3 cells, respectively. BMP-2-Tg-Gel was injected into the induced cranial defect site. After 14 days, the sample was removed for x-ray imaging and histological evaluation.
Results:
Our in vivo results demonstrated that the injectable Tg-Gel with its osteoconductivity and controllable BMP-2 activity induced bone formation in our rat models when tethered with BMP-2.
Conclusion:
Tg-Gel as an injectable functional bone graft may enable the use of minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat irregular-shaped bone defects. Furthermore, this novel approach is capable of incorporating and controlling the release of therapeutic agents that may advance the science of tissue regeneration.
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