Methods and devices are described for the regulation of Transforming
Growth actor (TGF)-.beta.1, .beta.2, and/or .beta.3 protein gene
expression in bone cells and other tissues via the capacitive coupling or
inductive coupling of specific and selective electric fields to the bone
cells or other tissues, where the specific and selective electric fields
are generated by application of specific and selective electric and
electromagnetic signals to electrodes or one or more coils or other field
generating device disposed with respect to the bone cells or other
tissues so as to facilitate the treatment of diseased or injured bone and
other tissues. By gene expression is meant the up-regulation or
down-regulation of the process whereby specific portions (genes) of the
human genome (DNA) are transcribed into mRNA and subsequently translated
into protein. Methods and devices are provided for the targeted treatment
of injured or diseased bone and other tissue that include generating
specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals that generate
fields in the target tissue optimized for increase of TGF-.beta.1,
.beta.2, and/or .beta.3 protein gene expression and exposing bone and
other tissue to the fields generated by specific and selective signals so
as to regulate TGF-.beta.1, .beta.2, and/or .beta.3 protein gene
expression in such tissue. The resulting methods and devices are useful
for the targeted treatment of bone fractures, fractures at risk, delayed
unions, nonunion of fractures, bone defects, spine fusions, osteonecrosis
or avascular necrosis, as an adjunct to other therapies in the treatment
of one or all of the above, in the treatment of osteoporosis, and in
other conditions in which TGF-.beta.1, .beta.2, and/or .beta.3 protein
may be implicated.