The complex micro-environment of the periodontal wound creates many challenges in the repair of periodontal osseous lesions. The field of tissue engineering has provided alternative methodologies to repair tissue defects combining transplantation biology with scaffolding device for delivery of cells, genes or proteins. Here we focus on the BONE MORPHOGENETIC PROTEIN (BMPs) protein factors that were discovered based on their ability to induce the formation of new bone. The basic cell biology of these factors, the result of experiments performed in animal models of bone repair and the clinical testing indicate substantial promise for these proteins in a wide range of indications.