Role and mechanism of BMP4 in bone, craniofacial, and tooth development

This review aimed to present an overview of the effect of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) on craniofacial and skeletal development, particularly the specific role of BMP4 in tooth development. The search for this narrative review was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and ScienceDirect using relevant keywords, including checking reference lists of journal articles by hand searching. Mutations or deletions of BMP4 cause tissue development defects in mice and humans, such as fragile bone, craniofacial deformity, cleft lip and palate, tooth development stagnation, and abnormal structure. BMP4 is a reliable and vital candidate to regulate the development of bones, craniofacies, and teeth. It also has high clinical application potential. •Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is involved in bone formation and facial fusion.•BMP4 is related to congenital tooth agenesis in humans.•Mutations of BMP4 lead to severe structural defects in the murine teeth.•BMP4 contributes to fracture healing and endodontic treatment.