Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) can be used successfully in controlled release drug delivery due to their excellent matrix forming properties. Recently, NRL has shown to stimulate angiogenesis, cellular adhesion and the formation of extracellular matrix, promoting the replacement and regeneration of tissue. A dermatological delivery system comprising a topically acceptable, inert support impregnated with a metronidazole (MET) solution was developed. MET 2-(2- methyl- 5-nitro- 1H- imidazol- 1-yl) ethanol, has been widely used for the treatment of protozoa and anaerobic bacterial infections. MET is a nitroimidazole anti-infective medication used mainly in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible organisms, particularly anaerobic bacteria and protozoa. In a previous study, we have tested NRL as an occlusive membrane for GBR with promising results. One possible way to decrease the inflammatory process, it was incorporated the MET in NRL. MET was incorporated into the NRL, by mixing it in solution for in vitro protein delivery experiments. The solutions of latex and MET were polymerized at different temperatures, from -100 to 40 °C, in order to control the membrane morphology. SEM microscopy analysis showed that the number, size and distribution of pores in NRL membranes varied depending on polymerization temperature, as well as its overall morphology. Results demonstrated that the best drug-delivery system was the membrane polymerized at -100 °C, which does release 77,1% of its MET content for up 310 hours.

As pesquisas biomoleculares sobre o desenvolvimento e a reparação óssea permitiram a descoberta de uma nova família de proteínas reguladoras da formação óssea e cartilaginosa in vivo. Capazes de iniciar a neoformação óssea quando implantadas em sítios extra-ósseos, estas proteínas são denominadas de proteínas ósseas morfogenéticas ou BMPs. A purificação e a caracterização das BMPs contribuíram para a fundamentação do conhecimento molecular e celular do processo de reparo ósseo. A resposta tecidual ao implante de BMPs ocorre de modo similar ao desenvolvimento ósseo embriológico, possibilitando a formação e o desenvolvimento da reparação na osteogênese pós-natal. A origem e a função das BMPs, entretanto, não estão limitadas ao tecido ósseo, sugerindo novos sítios de intervenções terapêuticas. O estádio atual de isolamento, as características, bem como as diversas possibilidades de aplicações clínicas das BMPs são relatados, analisando-se sua atuação.

Research into the molecular initiators of bone development and repair has culminated in the identification of an entirely new family of proteins that regulate bone and cartilage formation in vivo. These proteins are known as bone morphogenetic proteins or BMPs and are capable of inducing bone formation when implanted into ectopic sites. The purification and characterization of BMPs, until recently an elusive goal, have laid the foundation for the cellular and molecular dissection of bone development and regeneration. BMPs, critical in the normal development of animals, may play multiple roles, not exclusively pertinent to bone tissue. This review aims to present a concise perspective of BMPs, and their potential role and application for regenerative procedures.