Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein (hBMP)

Human bone morphogenetic protein (hBMP) was chemically extracted from demineralized gelatinized cortical bone matrix by means of a CaCl2 X urea inorganic-organic solvent mixture, differential precipitation in guanidine hydrochloride, and preparative gel electrophoresis. hBMP is isolated in quantities of 1 mg/kg of wet weight of fresh bone, and has the amino-acid composition of an acidic polypeptide. The mol wt is 17 to 18 k-Da (kilodaltons). Implants of the isolated 17-kDa protein are very rapidly adsorbed and produce a smaller volume of bone than protein fractions consisting of 24-, 17-, and 14-kDa proteins. Since the isolated 24- and 14-kDA components lack hBMP activity, the kinetics of the bone morphogenetic processes including the function of other proteins as carrier molecules, await investigation.