For nearly 2000 years, biomaterials have been used as damaged tissue implants. A field that started with wood and gold tissue replacements has evolved into an advanced science which combines ideas of cellular biology, engineering, and synthetic chemistry to produce bioresorbable materials capable of directing specific cell responses. With the overwhelming number of failed bone defect repairs every year, bone tissue engineering has become an important area of study. Both naturally occurring and synthetic polymeric materials have shown promising results for bone regeneration with their wide range of mechanical and degradation properties. Despite their favorable properties, these materials are limited by their lack of the biological cues necessary for enhanced bone formation and osteogenic differentiation. For this reason, naturally occurring growth factors, such as osteogenic growth peptide (OGP), have been studied for use in bone tissue engineering constructs to elicit more efficient bone healing. OGP functionalization of bioresorbable polymers has been shown to enhance regeneration of bone and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells in defect models. Vast improvements in bone tissue engineering constructs have been made possible through the use of OGP as a functional bio-conjugate. As this field continues to expand, the hopes of overcoming the limitations of current bone defect repair treatment methods is becoming a reality. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:449-464. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1376 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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