Bone is one of the most dynamic tissues in our body, capable of healing itself after a break. In 1965 an orthopedic surgeon at UCLA named Dr. Marshall Urist published a breakthrough discovery of a protein complex that changed our understanding of bone biology, orthopedics and 60 years later is leading the way in regenerative medicine and health. His discovery is known as Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP).
BMPs are cytokines and members of the TGF-beta superfamily. To date there are over 20 BMPs which have been isolated in the human body with BMP 2 through 10 concentrated in the bone.
Urist’s discovery was in fact a BMP-complex which he extracted from bone. By removing the mineral components of bone and cells (namely osteoblasts and osteoclasts), Urist was left with a partially hydrolyzed collagen complex which contains BMP 2 through 10 as well as other key growth factors including TGF-beta, VEGF, PDGF and bFGF.
Over the years it has been confirmed that the partially hydrolyzed collagen provides only the three-dimensional framework upon which the BMPs and growth factors are embedded, and that it is the BMPs which can activate and differentiate the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into osteoblasts and chondrocytes to produce de novo bone and cartilage, a process Urist called osteoinduction.
In the 1980s this BMP-complex was extracted from human bone for orthopedic spinal fusion as well as comminuted fractures. This surgical-grade BMP-complex is known as demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and launched the field of orthobiologics. DBM became the gold standard for post-op fusion, processed and produced by several medical companies under various brand names and is still widely used.
DBM contains the BMPs and growth factors found in bone within natural physiological level, making it incredibly safe for use even as a void-filler in osteosarcomas. Researcher elucidated the temporal relationship of each BMP with relationship cellular differentiation and that BMP-2 was the leading BMP in osteogenesis.
In the late 1980s as cloning technology expanded, the gene for BMP-2 was discovered. This led to the first recombinant BMP technology or rhBMP-2 which was FDA-cleared as part of an inner-body spinal device for rapid bone formation post discectomy.
While most of the global research focused on other recombinant BMPs and enhancing DBM, these were for local, surgical implantation. In early 2000s, a few leaders began exploring the use of a BMP-complex extracted from a food-source (bovine bone) as an oral preparation for supporting and enhancing systemic bone and cartilage tissue growth.
In 2006, these leaders formed ZyCal Bioceuticals Healthcare Co., secured patents for the first oral BMP-complex and filed with FDA as a nutritional supplement known as Cyplexinol® – Nature’s BMP-complex. While initial animal data showed promise in the early 1990s for orally administering a BMP-complex, Cyplexinol® is the first oral BMP-complex successfully produced and clinically studied showing impact in DEXA scores for bone health as well as university level study showing clinical improvement in joint health.
Cyplexinol® has been sold under various brand names across the globe, produced in central NJ in a cGPM, FDA-audited facility, extracted from premium, closed-herb, certified organic bovine bone. Each batch undergoes extensive quality control testing for nutritional standards, heavy metals, microbiology purity as well as same live animal stem-cell activating testing that the surgical grade undergo, demonstrating de novo bone and cartilage tissue – ushering in a paradigm shift in cellular nutrition and regenerative health.
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