Motivation
Human musculo-skeletal (MSK) system is made of bone, muscle, cartilage, ligament, tendon and many other connective tissues. A functional MSK system is crucial for painless mobility. Injuries or disease to any of the components making up the MSK system affect the mobility. Loss of mobility has been shown to be a strong predictor of all-cause mortality for population older than 65 years old (Bergland et al. 2017). The economic burden due to the medical treatments, down time and reduced working life of those affected is also concerning. For the elderly group in particular, efforts in improving mobility can ensure a successful aging (Musich et al. 2018).
With the advances in technology, we are in a privileged position to address important research assumptions underpinning our understanding of human body. The ability to investigate the MSK system at any length scales, from joint movement to molecular interactions, allows us to develop mechanistic understanding regarding the onset and progression of acute and chronic injuries/diseases to the biological tissues. However, work remains in bridging the knowledge gap existing between length scales.
The MuBEST lab is interested in fundamental research of two major components of a MSK system: articular cartilage and skeletal muscle. Our research vision is to develop mechanistic understanding of how injury/disease affects tissue functions and how tissue repair occurs. We approach the research questions with insights gained from tissue, cell, and molecular length scales. Through the fundamental understanding of the degenerative processes, various strategies can be developed for prediction of injury risk to the biological tissues, and for treatment and rehabilitation of the affected biological tissues.
Our interest
The main research interests of this group are:
(i) Integrative repair of articular cartilage
(ii) Contraction of sarcomeres in a muscle-tendon unit
(iii) Relevance of cell shape to tissue integrity and cell viability
(iv) Design and development of optico-mechanical systems
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References
Bergland, A.; Jørgensen, L.; Emaus, N.; Strand, B. H. Mobility as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in Older Men and Women: 11.8 Year Follow-up in the Tromsø Study. BMC Health Services Research 2017, 17 (1), 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1950-0.
Musich, S.; Wang, S. S.; Ruiz, J.; Hawkins, K.; Wicker, E. The Impact of Mobility Limitations on Health Outcomes among Older Adults. Geriatric Nursing 2018, 39 (2), 162–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2017.08.002.