Our Discovery Research Programs

Bone Biology

Our Bone Biology program is focused on defining the signals and mechanisms involved in site-directed bone formation and healing. While it is known that osteoblasts differentiate and localize the formation of new bone to regions where osteoclast bone resorption has occurred, the signals responsible for this coupling effect are a major focus of our research.

Because these effects have profound implications for osteoporosis, human development, and fracture healing, we continue to pursue important questions.

• With a better understanding of how bone cells communicate with each other it will be possible to devise novel therapies for many metabolic bone diseases.
• We have made major advances in understanding how environmental toxicants such as childhood exposure to lead can predispose adults to osteoporosis.
• Because 35 percent of US military personnel smoke cigarettes, the detrimental effects of nicotine on fracture healing and ways to lessen them are currently under investigation by our faculty.

Skeletal Repair and Tissue Engineering

Freeze-Dried Tendon Allografts as Tissue Engineering Scaffolds for Gdf5 Gene Delivery

Basile P, Dadali T, Jacobson JA, Hasslund S, Ulrich-Vinther M, Soballe K, Nishio Y, Drissi H, Langstein H, Mitten D, O’Keefe RJ, Schwarz EM, Awad HA. Mol Ther 2008; 16(3):466–473.

Biological Effects of rAAV-caAlk2 Coating on Structural Allograft Healing

Koefoed M, Ito H, Gromov K, Reynolds DG, Awad HA, Rubery PT, Ulrich-Vinther M, Soballe K, Guldberg RE, Lin AS, O'Keefe RJ, Zhang X, Schwarz EM. Mol Ther 2005; 12(2):212-8.

• Identifying mechanisms for enhanced skeletal repair
• Devising cell-based tissue engineering and gene therapy approaches to enhance bone repair and regeneration
• Identifying cell-signaling pathways that control mesenchymal stem cell activation, expansion, and differentiation during bone repair and regeneration

Stem Cells and Developmental Biology

We are studying these stem cells both in the context of embryonic development and adult skeletal repair and tissue engineering.

In most of our studies, we are attempting gain a broader understanding of the molecular circuits that regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.

Regenerative Medicine in Orthopaedic Surgery

Corsi KA, Schwarz EM, Mooney DJ, Huard J. J Orthop Res 2007; 25 (10):1261-8.

Currently, our primary focus is on signaling pathways that employ notch, TGFb, BMP, and Wnt using both in vivo genetic animal models and in vitro cell-based assays.

Overall, the goals of the Stem Cells and Developmental Biology program are to develop strategies for the ex vivo manipulation of skeletal stem cells and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for treatment of congenital skeletal dysplasias, age-related skeletal diseases (osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), bone fractures, myelodysplasias, and skeletal and hematopoietic related cancers.

The cartilage biology program investigates the mechanisms of chondrocyte metabolism so that it will be possible to better understand the

processes of development and skeletal growth in health and in and disease. Additionally, we have launched a major program in uncovering the pathologic processes associated with osteoarthritis and cartilage degradation. Our belief is that combining laboratory research with clinical investigation is the most effective way to bring better treatments to people affected by all the arthridites.