Enamel Matrix Derivative Gel Stimulates Signal Transduction of BMP and TGF-β

It has been shown that Emdogain® Gel (Emd-Gel) containing enamel matrix proteins promotes biomineralization, such as osteogenesis and cementogenesis, during the regeneration of periodontal tissues. However, the growth factors involved in these activities of Emd-Gel remain unclear. In this study, Emd-Gel was fractionated into 22 sub-fractions by size exclusion chromatography. The osteoinductive factors, TGF-β and BMP, were examined by a specific luciferase reporter gene assay. In the unfractionated Emd-Gel, TGF-β-like activity was detected, while BMP activity was not. In contrast, in the fractionated Emd-Gel samples, TGF-β-like activity was detected from fractions 8 to 13, and BMP-like activity was detected from fractions 4 to 6. Also, it was confirmed that the BMP-like activity in Emd-Gel was inhibited by authentic TGF-β1 and TGF-β-like activity. These results indicate that Emd-Gel contains both TGF-β- and BMP-like growth factors that contribute to the induction of biomineralization during periodontal regeneration.