Antibody-Mediated Osseous Regeneration for Bone Tissue Engineering in Canine Segmental Defects

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) offer novel applications in regenerative medicine.
• Antibody-mediated osseous regeneration (AMOR) is an emerging technique for bone repair.
• Clinically relevant animal models are crucial for evaluating regenerative therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of anti-bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) monoclonal antibody (mAb) in repairing a canine mandibular defect.
• To assess the potential of AMOR for craniofacial defect reconstruction.
• To evaluate AMOR in a large, clinically relevant animal model.

Main Methods:

• A 15 mm unilateral segmental mandibular defect was created and stabilized in canines.
• Anorganic bovine bone mineral with collagen (ABBM-C) was functionalized with anti-BMP-2 mAb or isotype control mAb.
• Recombinant human BMP-2 served as a positive control; outcomes were assessed via CT and histology.

Main Results:

• Anti-BMP-2 mAb treatment resulted in bone densities of 1360.81 ± 10.52 HU, comparable to rhBMP-2 (1044.27 ± 141.16 HU).
• Osteoid bone formation was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in anti-BMP-2 mAb (42.99% ± 8.67) and rhBMP-2 (48.97% ± 2.96) groups compared to the isotype control (26.8% ± 5.35).
• The study demonstrated successful AMOR in a large animal model.

Conclusions:

• AMOR using anti-BMP-2 mAb is a feasible approach for repairing large craniofacial bone defects.
• This study validates AMOR in a clinically relevant canine model, supporting its translational potential.
• The findings suggest AMOR could be a valuable therapeutic strategy in human regenerative medicine.