The effect of five proteins on stem cells used for osteoblast differentiation and proliferation: a current review of the literature

Bone-tissue engineering is a therapeutic target in the field of dental implant and orthopedic surgery. It is therefore essential to find a microenvironment that enhances the growth and differentiation of osteoblasts both from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and those derived from dental pulp. The aim of this review is to determine the relationship among the proteins fibronectin (FN), osteopontin (OPN), tenascin (TN), bone sialoprotein (BSP), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2) and their ability to coat different types of biomaterials and surfaces to enhance osteoblast differentiation. Pre-treatment of biomaterials with FN during the initial phase of osteogenic differentiation on all types of surfaces, including slotted titanium and polymers, provides an ideal microenvironment that enhances adhesion, morphology, and proliferation of pluripotent and multipotent cells. Likewise, in the second stage of differentiation, surface coating with BMP2 decreases the diameter and the pore size of the scaffold, causing better adhesion and reduced proliferation of BMP-MSCs. Coating oligomerization surfaces with OPN and BSP promotes cell adhesion, but it is clear that the polymeric coating material BSP alone is insufficient to induce priming of MSCs and functional osteoblastic differentiation in vivo. Finally, TN is involved in mineralization and can accelerate new bone formation in a multicellular environment but has no effect on the initial stage of osteogenesis.