Bone Morphogenetic Protein-induced Cartilage Development in Tissue Culture

Outgrowths of mesenchyme-type cells from explants of allogeneic rat muscle onto a substratum of bone matrix containing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) differentiate into cartilage. When BMP is chemically extracted from the bone matrix, the explanted cells develop only into fibrous tissue. When exogenous bovine BMP is introduced into the culture medium, either as a microsuspension or as a layer of particles between the matrix and the muscle cell tissue, cartilage develops at the interface between the matrix and the mesenchymal cell outgrowth. The chondrogenetic response is induced by as little as 2 micrograms of BMP; the optimum dose is 10 micrograms/40 mg (wet weight) of explant. The endogenous BMP equivalent for a comparable chondrogenetic response is about 0.6 micrograms/mg of allogeneic matrix. The minimum time for transfer of BMP to mesenchymal cell receptors is 1.0 hour, adequate time is 2.5 hours, and optimum time is approximately 5.0 hours. Measured in terms of incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA and of 35S sulfate into glycosaminoglycan, there is a latent period of one to three days preceeding the differentiation of mesenchyme-type cells into cartilage. During this latent period BMP-modulated mesenchymal cells disaggregate, migrate, reaggregate, and proliferate on new surfaces and constitute the morphogenetic phase of bone development. By the fourth day cells simultaneously undergo mitotic division, synthesize extracellular cartilage matrix, and establish the cytodifferentiation phase of development.