Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Facilitates Expression of Chondrogenic, not Osteogenic, Phenotype of Human Intervertebral Disc Cells

Abstract

The rhBMP-2 clearly up-regulated mRNA expression of chondrogenic components and also stimulated proteoglycan synthesis without expression of osteogenic phenotype. Taken together, this study raise the possibility of rhBMP-2 can be anabolic agent for regenerating matrix of intervertebral disc.