Summary
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and makes them susceptible to fracture. It affects millions of people in the U.S., especially the elderly. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is a protein that can stimulate bone growth, enhance healing of damaged bone, and reduce pain in osteoporosis patients. However, its use is limited by complications such as bone overgrowth and tumor formation. An alternative is to use short amino acid chains called peptides that mimic the actions of BMP-2 without its complications. This project will explore how a peptide’s molecular conformation affects
