The role and re‐establishment of internal tissue tension in normal versus compromised‐healing bone (P07)

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

Fully mineralized bone exhibits residual compressive stresses in the mineral nanocrystals, which increase macroscopic bone strength. In this project, Zaslansky will study different time points of bone healing, consolidating X-ray and polarization optical methods integrating information about the collagen and mineral adaptation process of normal healing in young and middle-aged femur bones. The group of Zaslansky will adapt the synchrotron technology to match standard lab histological preparation and embedding compatible with soft tissue staining and immunological characterization. This will allow us to map collagen contraction and the distribution of internal stresses while comparing immune-naive and immune-experienced mice. We will conduct computational finite element experiments to study the effects of strain on tissue gradients, to reduce and replace (and augment) animal experiments while gaining insights on the role of strain as a tissue signaling factor.

• 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 Head: Professor Dr. Paul Zaslansky