Mechanochemical Sensation of Damage in the Pericellular Niche

该奖项的目的是了解细胞靶向骨损伤区域进行修复的机制。作为日常活动的一部分，骨骼承受着微小的损伤，细胞通过持续的修复过程来抑制微裂纹的积累。最近的研究表明，钙从骨骼受损区域释放，这种释放可能启动骨修复级联反应。该项目将建立在这一见解的基础上，并将表征骨细胞对骨钙释放的反应。综上所述，这些研究将绘制更完整的图像，统一钙从基质中释放，确定钙进入细胞的途径以及钙运输时激活的分子类型。成功实现这一奖项的目标将提高我们对驱动骨骼修复机制的理解。对骨骼修复的洞察创造了减轻各种骨骼脆弱状况的潜力，包括骨质疏松症。与奖项相关的活动的另一个优点是为设计智能生物材料创造了基础，这些材料可以通过调节细胞反应进行自我修复。如果观察到受损基质中的钙释放会触发细胞对基质的修复，那么所提出的活动将有助于设计类骨材料，诱导驻留细胞修复临界负载区域。女性在工程领域的参与度一直在上升；然而，这种接触需要持续到未来。在外联方面，高中女生将参加研究活动，培养她们在工程方面的兴趣。

The objective of this award is to understand the mechanisms by which cells target the damaged regions of bone for repair. The skeleton sustains microscopic damage as part of daily activities and cells curb microcrack accumulation by a continual repair process. Recent studies demonstrated that calcium is released from damaged regions of bone and such a release may initiate bone-repair cascade. This project will build on this insight and will characterize the response of bone cells to calcium release from bone. In combination, the studies will draw a more complete picture which unifies calcium release from the matrix, identify the route via which calcium enters the cells and the types of molecules which are activated upon calcium transport. Successful attainment of the aims of this award will improve our understanding of the mechanisms which drive skeletal repair. Insight on skeletal repair creates the potential to mitigate various conditions of skeletal fragility, including osteoporosis. Another merit of award-related activities is the creation of the foundation for designing intelligent biomaterials which can repair themselves by regulating cell response. If observed calcium release from damaged substrate triggers matrix-repair by cells, the proposed activities would cultivate efforts to design bone like materials which induce resident cells to repair critically loaded regions. Female participation in engineering careers has been increasing; however, this engagement needs to be sustained into the future. On the outreach front, high-school female students will participate in research activities to foster their interests in pursuing careers in engineering.