Stem Cell Institute Symposium to Explore Bone and Cartilage Growth and Repair
Osteoblast depositing bone matrix
Scientists have made significant progress in understanding the biology of the cells that give rise to skeletal tissues, information that is critical for understanding skeletal diseases such as craniofacial (cranium and face) anomalies, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Based on these insights, scientists are now working in the lab to develop cell-based therapies aimed at repairing or replacing bone and cartilage. "We have learned a lot about how skeletal tissues are formed - how they normally develop and what sometimes goes wrong, leading to skeletal diseases," says Rik Derynck, director of the UCSF Program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology and co-director of the UCSF Institute for Stem Cell and Tissue Biology. "Given this knowledge, the time is approaching when we will attempt to engineer skeletal tissues to replace damaged or missing tissue in patients." Mesenchymal stem cells form the basis of all skeletal tissues. In fact, depending on their location in the body, they give rise to bone, cartilage, muscle, fat and connective tissue. Scientists have identified many of the molecular steps and intracellular signals that prompt the cells to begin to specialize as bone and cartilage cells.
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| In experiments in the laboratory of Rik Derynck, researchers have successfully transformed the fat cells of mice (left) to bone cells. |
This strategy could be used to treat a range of needs, from replacing deteriorating cartilage in arthritis, to repairing cleft palates more effectively, to replacing bone that has been surgically removed to combat bone metastases to the jaw. Clinical trials of such cell-based therapies could begin within five years, he says. "We're at an extremely exciting stage in the evolution of the field," says Derynck. "The upcoming symposium will provide a snapshot of where we are and where we're going." The symposium is co-organized by UCSF's Caroline Damsky, professor of cell and tissue biology, Rik Derynck and Richard Schneider, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery.
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Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Skeletal Biology Symposium Friday,
March 17, 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. 8:30-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast 9:00-9:15 a.m. Welcoming Remarks 9:15-10:00 a.m. 10:00-10:30 a.m. 10:30-10:45 a.m. Coffee Break 10:45-11:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. - 12:15
p.m. 12:15-2:00 p.m. Lunch (self-hosted) 2:00-2:45 p.m. 2:45-3:30 p.m. 3:30-3:45 p.m. Coffee Break 3:45-4:30 p.m. 4:30-5:15 p.m. |