Remodeling-mediated 3D adaptation in cortical bone microarchitecture

陆地动物（两栖动物，爬行动物，鸟类和哺乳动物）的骨骼是有生命的器官，能够对身体需求的变化做出反应。 这种机制被称为“功能适应”，其作用是确保骨骼被优化为足够强壮，但不会不必要地沉重。 适应可以涉及骨骼整体形状的变化（建模）以及骨骼组织的内部修改（重塑）。 我的研究项目集中在后一个过程-重塑-这是生长停止后成熟骨骼变化的主要机制。 我的研究的首要目标是更好地了解如何以及为什么骨的致密外层（皮质）壳的微观结构是在正常和修改负载条件下修改。 我的研究的一个关键创新是使用高放大率三维成像技术（micro-CT），能够可视化骨微结构到细胞水平。 在我目前的研究阶段，具体的项目集中在理解1）微观结构和个体骨骼内的负荷模式之间的关系，2）个体细胞水平重塑事件的组织和3）改变负荷对微观结构的影响。 最终，我的研究计划将推进我们关于骨骼生物学的知识，并将为解释现在和过去物种中骨骼的功能提供重要的新机会。 生成的数据将在骨骼研究中有广泛的应用，包括将骨骼理解为“材料”（工程）和理解骨骼作为组织的进化（古生物学）。 此外，许多人类骨骼疾病与重塑过程有关（例如骨质疏松症）。 因此，提高我们对重塑的正常功能以及这一过程如何演变的理解可能会提供重要的线索，这将提高我们未来对抗骨骼疾病的能力。

The bones of land animals (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) are living organs with the ability to respond to changes in the physical demands placed upon them. This mechanism, known as 'functional adaptation', acts to ensure that bones are optimized to be sufficiently strong but not unnecessarily heavy. Adaptation can involve both changes in the overall shape of bones (modeling) as well as internal modification of the bone tissue (remodeling). My research program focuses on the latter process - remodeling - which is the primary mechanism of change in mature bones after growth has ceased. The overarching aims of my research are to better understand how and why the microscopic architecture of the dense outer (cortical) shell of bones is modified under normal and modified loading conditions. A key innovation of my research is the use of high magnification three-dimensional imaging technology (micro-CT) capable of visualizing bone microarchitecture down to a cellular level. Within the current phase of my research, specific projects are focused on understanding 1) the relationship between microscopic structure and loading patterns within individual bones, 2) the organization of individual cellular-level remodeling events and 3) the effect of altered loading on microscopic structure. Ultimately, my research program will advance our knowledge regarding the biology of bones and will provide an important new opportunity for interpreting the function of bones in both present and past species. The data generated will have wide ranging applications in bone research including understanding bone as a 'material' (engineering) and understanding the evolution of bone as a tissue (palaeontology). Further, a number of human bone diseases are related to the remodeling process (e.g. osteoporosis). Therefore, improving our understanding of the normal function of remodeling and how this process evolved may provide vital clues that will improve our capacity to combat bone disease in the future.