Interplay of micro‐engineered mechanical signals and BMP/TGFb signaling in the context of bone healing (P03)

• Subject Area: Medical Informatics and Medical Bioinformatics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 427826188

The mechanobiological regulation of growth factor signaling is a key mechanism for bone healing, yet the influence of the cell environment on this process is not fully understood. In this project, we will utilize micro-engineered 3D environments to investigate the influence of heterogeneous mechanical substrate stiffness on growth factor (GF) binding to cell receptors, ligand/receptor/ECM correlation, and resulting signaling in bone progenitor cells. We will synthesize and label BMP2, BMP6, and BMP9 to explore the impact of mechanical environments on cell behavior and GF integration into the ECM. Our goal is to identify effective environments for modulating GF signaling and supporting bone progenitor cell function. This understanding is essential for the development of future cell-instructive biomaterials to improve bone defect healing.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1444: Directed Cellular Self-Organization to Advance Bone Regeneration
• Applicant Institution: shared FU Berlin and HU Berlin through:; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Project Heads: Professorin Dr. Petra Knaus; Professor Dr. Ansgar Petersen