Xenogeneic osteogenin, a bone morphogenetic protein, and demineralized bone matrices, including human, induce bone differentiation in athymic rats and baboons.

Summary Subcutaneous implantation of xenogeneic demineralized bone matrix does not initiate endochondral bone differentiation. Dissociative extraction in 4 M guanidine-HCl or 6 M urea has shown that the apparent species-specificity of intact bone matrix resides in its insoluble immunogenic component, since there is homology in solubilized osteogenic proteins amongst mammals. To further investigate the species-specificity and cross-species reactivity of bone matrix components, baboon and human demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and bovine osteogenin, purified greater than 50000-fold and with an apparent molecular mass of 28–42 kilodaltons, were implanted in the subcutaneous space of athymic and euthymic rats and into the rectus abdominis of 16 baboons ( Papio ursinus ). Baboon DBM was also implanted in athymic and euthymic mice. Alkaline phosphatase activity and histology of implants harvested at day 11 and 30 showed that baboon and human DBM induced endochondral bone differentiation both in athymic rats and baboons. Bovine osteogenin in conjunction with baboon insoluble collagenous matrix induced extensive bone differentiation in athymic rats and baboons. Baboon and human DBM did not induce bone differentiation in euthymic rats and, in athymic mice, baboon DBM failed to induce bone differentiation, determining instead the recruitment of multinucleated giant cells. The results indicate that in rodents bone differentiation induced by intact bone matrix is species specific and that T-cell functions are not a requirement for bone induction, although immunologically competent rats block bone differentiation from xenogeneic matrix. Bone differentiation induced by human DBM in baboons suggests that intact bone matrices may not be species-specific amongst primates. These findings, by demonstrating bone induction in nonhuman primates using bovine osteogenin and intact human bone matrix, may help to design alternative osteogenic delivery systems other than allogeneic collagenous matrix for craniofacial and orthopedic applications in man.