Research
The skeletal mechanobiology and biomechanics lab is a team of researchers and bone geeks that aims to impact musculoskeletal health, by advancing understanding of how bone and related materials perform their necessary structural functions, how they reestablish those functions following damage and injury, and how to use knowledge on these topics to predict material failure and accelerate healing.
Harnessing mechanical cues in the cellular microenvironment for bone regeneration
In this review recently published in Frontiers in Physiology, we argue that some of the most important future experiments in orthopaedic mechanobiology will test the effects of multiple, concurrent microenvironmental stimuli on MSCs.
In particular, we review how skeletal cells are responsive to a variety of microenvironmental cues, such as strain, fluid shear stress, curvature, & substrate stiffness. These cues can direct the differentiation of marrow stromal cells (MSCs), either promoting or inhibiting osteogenesis.
Finally, we discuss the current understanding of how MSCs respond to these stimuli, both individually and in combination, and highlight areas where additional work is needed to advance the field of skeletal mechanobiology.
