Degradation-mediated adsorption of BMP-2 on magnesium surfaces

Yu Zhao; Yu Zhao

doi:10.3934/bdia.2026004

Big Data and Information Analytics

2026, Volume 10, 70-80. doi: 10.3934/bdia.2026004

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Research article

Degradation-mediated adsorption of BMP-2 on magnesium surfaces

Yu Zhao ^{1,2
,
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1.
State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
2.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

Received: 22 November 2025 Revised: 08 December 2025 Accepted: 10 December 2025 Published: 02 March 2026

Bone defect repair remains a major challenge in current orthopedic surgery. Autologous or allogeneic bone grafting and metallic fixation are widely-used clinical approaches, but their effectiveness is limited by insufficient donor sources and immunological risks. To overcome these limitations, bone tissue engineering has been developed to regenerate functional bone based on an improved understanding of bone structure and bone formation. Among various osteogenic factors, bone morphogenetic protein‑2 (BMP‑2) plays a pivotal role in promoting new bone formation at defect sites and is therefore central to the design of biomaterial-assisted bone tissue engineering strategies. In this study, the influence of pure magnesium (Mg) degradation and different degradation degrees on the adsorption behavior of BMP‑2 was systematically investigated. The combined results of BMP‑2 adsorption experiments and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that degradation of Mg reduces the number of BMP‑2 adsorption sites on the surface and progressively weakens the interfacial interaction strength as degradation proceeds. This effect is attributed to degradation-induced charge redistribution on the Mg surface, which leads to a reorganization of the interfacial hydrated layer and ultimately inhibits BMP‑2 adsorption on Mg.
- magnesium,
- molecular dynamics simulation,
- BMP-2
Citation: Yu Zhao. Degradation-mediated adsorption of BMP-2 on magnesium surfaces[J]. Big Data and Information Analytics, 2026, 10: 70-80. doi: 10.3934/bdia.2026004

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Abstract

Bone defect repair remains a major challenge in current orthopedic surgery. Autologous or allogeneic bone grafting and metallic fixation are widely-used clinical approaches, but their effectiveness is limited by insufficient donor sources and immunological risks. To overcome these limitations, bone tissue engineering has been developed to regenerate functional bone based on an improved understanding of bone structure and bone formation. Among various osteogenic factors, bone morphogenetic protein‑2 (BMP‑2) plays a pivotal role in promoting new bone formation at defect sites and is therefore central to the design of biomaterial-assisted bone tissue engineering strategies. In this study, the influence of pure magnesium (Mg) degradation and different degradation degrees on the adsorption behavior of BMP‑2 was systematically investigated. The combined results of BMP‑2 adsorption experiments and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that degradation of Mg reduces the number of BMP‑2 adsorption sites on the surface and progressively weakens the interfacial interaction strength as degradation proceeds. This effect is attributed to degradation-induced charge redistribution on the Mg surface, which leads to a reorganization of the interfacial hydrated layer and ultimately inhibits BMP‑2 adsorption on Mg.

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