['Heterotopic ossification (HO) may occur after musculoskeletal trauma, traumatic brain injury, and total joint arthroplasty. As such, HO is a compelling clinical concern in both military and civilian medicine. A possible etiology of HO involves dysregulated signals in the bone morphogenetic protein osteogenic cascade. Contemporary treatment options for HO (ie, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and radiation therapy) have adverse effects associated with their use and are not biologically engineered to abrogate the molecular mechanisms that govern osteogenic differentiation.', 'We hypothesized that (1) nanogel-mediated short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery against Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osterix (Osx) genes will decrease messenger RNA expression; (2) inhibit activity of the osteogenic marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP); and (3) inhibit hydroxyapatite (HA) deposition in osteoblast cell cultures.', 'Nanogel nanostructured polymers delivered siRNA in 48-hour treatment cycles against master osteogenic regulators, Runx2 and Osx, in murine calvarial preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1.4) stimulated for osteogenic differentiation by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP-2). The efficacy of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics was determined by quantitation of messenger RNA knockdown (by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), downstream protein knockdown (determined ALP enzymatic activity assay), and HA deposition (determined by OsteoImage™ assay).', 'Gene expression assays demonstrated that nanogel-based RNAi treatments at 1:1 and 5:1 nanogel:short interfering RNA weight ratios reduced Runx2 expression by 48.59%\xa0±\xa019.53% (p\xa0<\xa00.001) and 43.22%\xa0±\xa018.01% (both p\xa0<\xa00.001). The same 1:1 and 5:1 treatments against both Runx2 and Osx reduced expression of Osx by 51.65%\xa0±\xa010.85% and 47.65%\xa0±\xa09.80% (both p\xa0<\xa00.001). Moreover, repeated 48-hour RNAi treatment cycles against Runx2 and Osx rhBMP-2 administration reduced ALP activity after 4 and 7\xa0days. ALP reductions after 4\xa0days in culture by nanogel 5:1 and 10:1 RNAi treatments were 32.4%\xa0±\xa012.0% and 33.6%\xa0±\xa013.8% (both p\xa0<\xa00.001). After 7\xa0days in culture, nanogel 1:1 and 5:1 RNAi treatments produced 35.9%\xa0±\xa014.0% and 47.7%\xa0±\xa03.2% reductions in ALP activity. Osteoblast mineralization data after 21\xa0days suggested that nanogel 1:1, 5:1, and 10:1 RNAi treatments decreased mineralization (ie, HA deposition) from cultures treated only with rhBMP-2 (p\xa0<\xa00.001). However, despite RNAi attack on Runx2 and Osx, HA deposition levels remained greater than non-rhBMP-2-treated cell cultures.'] Does cationic Nanogel-mediated Runx2 and Osterix siRNA Delivery decrease Mineralization in MC3T3 Cells?