Comparison of Impregnated Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Release Kinetics from Biopolymer Scaffolds

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the release kinetics of impregnated recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) from different engineered scaffolds. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) matrices prepared by supercritical fluid technologies (SCFT) showed the highest biocompatibility and long-term release of rhBMP-2. There was an even release of rhBMP-2 from them for 11 days. The subsequent use of laser sintering allowed delaying the peak of the protein release for a period of 13 to 15 days. The average loss of rhBMP-2 using SCFT did not exceed 20%. The maximum release of rhBMP-2 from a collagen-fibronectin hydrogel was in the period from 4 to 6 days. But 47 ± 12% rhBMP-2 loss was shown. Highly porous polylactide-based scaffolds obtained by freeze-drying were inferior to other scaffolds in their ability to release rhBMP-2 for a prolonged period. The hydrogel and chitosan-based granules showed high cytotoxicity and a short period of protein release.