Rapid functional analysis of genes involved in skeletal development. Abnormalities of the skeleton are of enormous clinical significance in terms of both number of individuals affected and the cost of treatment. Data derived from this project will underpin targeted research on the mechanisms of inherited and common diseases of cartilage and bone, yielding novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In addition, the improved knowledge of cartilage and bone cell development will inform new approache ....Rapid functional analysis of genes involved in skeletal development. Abnormalities of the skeleton are of enormous clinical significance in terms of both number of individuals affected and the cost of treatment. Data derived from this project will underpin targeted research on the mechanisms of inherited and common diseases of cartilage and bone, yielding novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In addition, the improved knowledge of cartilage and bone cell development will inform new approaches for developing stem cell therapies and the production of novel biomaterials for the repair of bones and joints. The outcomes of this study will therefore benefit the full spectrum of society from infants to the aged.Read moreRead less
The role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the control of osteoblast phenotype. Very little is known about how bone cells progress from a naive precursor state, through differentiation and then maturation into adult cells. We wish to purify sugars from the bone cell membrane, extracellular matrix and culture medium, and examine the cellular response following the addition of these various sugar fractions to osteoblast cell cultures in combination with known growth factors. If we can control ....The role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the control of osteoblast phenotype. Very little is known about how bone cells progress from a naive precursor state, through differentiation and then maturation into adult cells. We wish to purify sugars from the bone cell membrane, extracellular matrix and culture medium, and examine the cellular response following the addition of these various sugar fractions to osteoblast cell cultures in combination with known growth factors. If we can control the progression of osteoblastic cells through the phases of recruitment, proliferation, differentiation and maturation by the addition of specific sugar fractions then we can potentially control bone formation.Read moreRead less
DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL BIOMATERIAL FOR BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING. Tissue engineering of bone is emerging as a viable therapy for treating large defects in load-bearing bone. We wish to develop methods for combining novel heparan sulphate molecules (known to deliver growth factors to cell surfaces and thereby cause changes in bone cell phenotype) with load-bearing, macro-porous, biodegradable mineral/polymer biomaterials. Through the study of release profiles, protein adsorption and cell responses ....DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL BIOMATERIAL FOR BONE TISSUE ENGINEERING. Tissue engineering of bone is emerging as a viable therapy for treating large defects in load-bearing bone. We wish to develop methods for combining novel heparan sulphate molecules (known to deliver growth factors to cell surfaces and thereby cause changes in bone cell phenotype) with load-bearing, macro-porous, biodegradable mineral/polymer biomaterials. Through the study of release profiles, protein adsorption and cell responses to these derivatised biomaterials, a novel approach to bone replacement materials can be developed.Read moreRead less
Patient-specific biomechanical modelling for improved treatment of spinal deformity. Spinal deformities negatively affect social acceptance, physical and mental wellbeing in children and adolescents. The direct costs of spinal deformity surgery are approximately $30 million per year in Australia, yet poor treatment outcomes due to post-operative complications incur a much higher cost as patients with persistent pain and disability face a lifetime of dependency and reduced ability to work. The pa ....Patient-specific biomechanical modelling for improved treatment of spinal deformity. Spinal deformities negatively affect social acceptance, physical and mental wellbeing in children and adolescents. The direct costs of spinal deformity surgery are approximately $30 million per year in Australia, yet poor treatment outcomes due to post-operative complications incur a much higher cost as patients with persistent pain and disability face a lifetime of dependency and reduced ability to work. The patient-specific biomechanical modelling techniques developed in this project will reduce complications and improve correction for Australian children who undergo spinal deformity surgery. Better treatment outcomes will ensure quality of life, health and productivity for spinal deformity patients throughout their entire lives.Read moreRead less
The virtual human knee. This project aims to investigate the Virtual Human Knee (VHK) which provides a baseline knowledge about knee mechanics in healthy individuals and a tool for studying knee mechanics in silico. The new knowledge can be used for identifying individuals most at risk for injury, developing solutions for preventing injury and for assessing knee reconstruction and implantation methods. As such, VHK will mitigate the burden of knee injury to Australia and worldwide by progressing ....The virtual human knee. This project aims to investigate the Virtual Human Knee (VHK) which provides a baseline knowledge about knee mechanics in healthy individuals and a tool for studying knee mechanics in silico. The new knowledge can be used for identifying individuals most at risk for injury, developing solutions for preventing injury and for assessing knee reconstruction and implantation methods. As such, VHK will mitigate the burden of knee injury to Australia and worldwide by progressing disciplines including anatomy, bio-mechanics, sport science, rehabilitation, surgery and medical devices.Read moreRead less
Inter-fragmentary movement in callus formation in the early phase of fracture healing. Computational models of the early phase of bone fracture healing can provide the means to characterise the biochemical factors that control this process, and subsequently influence successful healing outcomes, with or without surgical intervention. This unique approach, incorporating soft tissue and fixation device contributions to fracture healing, will ultimately provide a sound basis for clinical decision-m ....Inter-fragmentary movement in callus formation in the early phase of fracture healing. Computational models of the early phase of bone fracture healing can provide the means to characterise the biochemical factors that control this process, and subsequently influence successful healing outcomes, with or without surgical intervention. This unique approach, incorporating soft tissue and fixation device contributions to fracture healing, will ultimately provide a sound basis for clinical decision-making, implant design and future experimental studies. Facilitating treatment optimisation, the outcomes of this project will create opportunities to reduce healthcare costs, physical impairment, and productivity losses for the 150,000 Australian patients hospitalised annually with fractures.Read moreRead less
Formation of bone-like materials for bone repair and regeneration. A successful outcome for this project would lead to the production and application of new bone-like calcium phosphate materials. Enhanced bioactivity of this material would lead to higher but controlled rates of calcium phosphate release. An understanding of the formation process of these materials and the controlled release of calcium phosphates has the potential to slow the development of metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis ....Formation of bone-like materials for bone repair and regeneration. A successful outcome for this project would lead to the production and application of new bone-like calcium phosphate materials. Enhanced bioactivity of this material would lead to higher but controlled rates of calcium phosphate release. An understanding of the formation process of these materials and the controlled release of calcium phosphates has the potential to slow the development of metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis. The WHO reports that osteoporosis is the second largest health care problem world-wide. In 2002, 44 million people in the USA were estimated to be at risk. This and similar figures in Australia and around the world emphasize the urgency of understanding and appropriately combating weak bone degenerative diseases.Read moreRead less
Angiogenic defects in mutant growth plate cartilage reveal new modulators of vascular invasion. Converting cartilage to bone requires blood vessel invasion from the bony interface. This project will test, in vitro and in vivo, the hypothesis that collagen fragments regulate blood vessel invasion into cartilage. This data will have implications for processes requiring new blood vessels such as bone growth, cancer, inflammation and ischemia.
Proteomic and Transcriptional Profiling of Cartilage. Gene expression and signalling pathways that regulate cartilage formation, and its orderly transition to bone, are poorly described. Our studies will, for the first time, combine two complementary cutting-edge approaches, protein identification by proteomic analysis, and mRNA profiling by microarray analysis, to define these pathways and develop a comprehensive catalogue of proteins and gene expression patterns during cartilage development a ....Proteomic and Transcriptional Profiling of Cartilage. Gene expression and signalling pathways that regulate cartilage formation, and its orderly transition to bone, are poorly described. Our studies will, for the first time, combine two complementary cutting-edge approaches, protein identification by proteomic analysis, and mRNA profiling by microarray analysis, to define these pathways and develop a comprehensive catalogue of proteins and gene expression patterns during cartilage development and bone formation. This information will provide insight into the regulation of cartilage differentiation, maturation and structure, and will provide a critical platform for the development of more sophisticated cartilage and bone biomaterials for improved tissue repair and regeneration.Read moreRead less
Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be ....Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be new definitive descriptions of the detailed anatomy of the spine and its mechanisms. This will enhance the accuracy and detail of models under development for predicting spinal function following disease, injury or surgical procedures.Read moreRead less