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. 2014 Apr 10;114(11):6040–6079. doi: 10.1021/cr400341h

Figure 4.

Figure 4

MWCNTs promote ectopic osteogenesis by rhBMP-2 and collagen. (a) A soft X-ray radiogram of newly formed bones extirpated 2 weeks after placement of rhBMP-2/collagen/MWCNT composite (upper lane) or rhBMP-2/collagen composite (lower lane) in mouse back muscle. Larger bones with more intense opacity were formed when using collagen conjugated with MWCNTs than without. (b) Bone mineral contents (BMCs) in bones formed at 2 weeks of implantation. A significantly higher BMC was observed in bones formed at 2 weeks of implantation of collagen conjugated with MWCNTs than without. Each error bar indicates the standard deviation of the mean (n = 8); asterisk, P = 0.016 between samples treated with carbon nanotubes and those without (unpaired Student’s t test). (c) Histological images of bones extirpated at 2 weeks. The trabecula was thicker and denser when using collagen conjugated with MWCNTs than collagen alone. The tissue around the implanted collagen–MWCNT conjugate was found to have MWCNTs absorbed uniformly in the trabecula and bone marrow. The MWCNTs were seen to have entered the trabecula and came in direct contact with bone substrate. Hematoxylin-eosin staining. Scale bars = 100 mm. Reprinted with permission from ref (213). Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.