Our goal is to use stem cells to understand interactions and mechanisms in signalling pathways and extracellular matrix that drive bone and cartilage disorders.
Impact
Bone and cartilage disorders such as brittle bone disease, short stature and cartilage degradation are debilitating and not uncommon. Stem cell generated cartilage organoids allow the study of the complex mechanisms of these disorders and their potential therapies.
reNEW research
Work in progress.
Image description
Can cartilage organoids repair damaged bone and cartilage?
A human stem cell derived cartilage organoid was implanted into damaged cartilage and bone in a rat knee and is integrating into the rat tissue and undergoing maturation. Collagen II (purple) is the most abundant structural cartilage component and collagen X (green) identifies cartilage maturing towards bone formation. Rat bone marrow space can be seen with blood cell nuclei staining (blue).
Credits
Lisa Sampurno & Lynn Rowley, Louise Kung, Elizabeth Ng, Chris Little, John Bateman & Shireen Lamande.
