There is a great interest for biological regeneration of tissues in particular by using growth factors. BMPs are at this time the only growth and differentiation factors discovered with a high potential in inducing regeneration of tissues like bone, cartilage, kidney, brain etc. Other indications for BMPs in clinical medicine have been further explored in laboratories worldwide, including new discoveries in the field of nephrology and oncology (e.g. in renal osteodystrophy, prostate cancer in animals and metastatic breast cancer). In the field of structur/function analysis of BMPs new discoveries have been made improving our understanding of interactions with receptors and antagonists which could become important in designing drugs for preventing and curing diseases like fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

Covering these points the volume will be of interest to both clinicians and basic scientists, in particular to those entering this exciting field.

Updated version of the first PIR-volume on BMPs by S. Vukicevic/K.T. Sampath, Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - From Laboratory to Clinical Practice (2002), with several new contributions A topical book written by experts in the field

Inhalt
Bone morphogenetic proteins and their role in regenerative medicine.- Bone morphogenetic protein receptors and their nuclear effectors in bone formation.- Biology of bone morphogenetic proteins.- Bone morphogenetic proteins in development.- Bone morphogenetic proteins in articular cartilage repair.- Craniofacial reconstruction with bone morphogenetic proteins.- Clinical experience of osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) in the repair of bone defects and fractures of long bones.- Development of the first commercially available recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP-2) as an autograft replacement for spinal fusion and ongoing R & D direction.- Bone morphogenetic proteins and the synovial joints.- The role of bone morphogenetic proteins in developing and adult kidney.- Bone morphogenetic proteins in the nervous system.- Bone morphogenetic proteins and cancer.- Bone healing: Bone morphogenetic proteins and beyond.