Oxysterols as promising small molecules for bone tissue engineering: Systematic review

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Bone tissue engineering aims to develop bone substitutes to avoid autologous bone grafts.
• Oxysterols, cholesterol derivatives, are emerging as osteoinductive molecules for bone regeneration.
• This review systematically examines preclinical in vivo evidence for oxysterols in bone tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review in vivo studies on oxysterols' effects on bone formation.
• To assess the therapeutic potential of oxysterols for bone regeneration applications.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted.
• Searches were performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science.
• Thirteen preclinical studies using spinal, alveolar, or calvarial defect models were included and assessed for bias.

Main Results:

• All seven evaluated oxysterols demonstrated statistically significant in vivo osteoinductive properties.
• Some oxysterols exhibited dose-dependent effects and comparable bone growth to rhBMP-2.
• Evidence suggests oxysterols may act via the Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Conclusions:

• Preclinical data strongly support oxysterols' role in augmenting in vivo bone formation.
• Clinical investigation is essential to determine the optimal oxysterols for orthopaedic applications.