Research interest
Our laboratory is focused on advancing the field of tissue engineering through development of new strategies for preservation, repair, regeneration, augmentation, or replacement of musculoskeletal tissues. We focus in three key areas: the harvest, processing and transplantation of adult connective tissue stem cells and progenitors (CTPs) for treatment of fractures and problems of degenerative joints; the effects of aging and osteoporosis on CTPs; and optimizing assays for CTPs and other stem cells.
Our ongoing health requires continuous renewal of tissues that we loose to degeneration, injury or disease. Our bones, skin, and other tissues are continuously restored by the work of upstream stem cells defined collectively as CTPs. Maintaining this balance of formation in many ways defines health, and regaining this balance is necessary for effective tissue repair or regeneration. Methods that we have developed to measure the number and function of CTPs and methods to harvest, concentrate, select and transplant CTPs are now widely used by scientists and surgeons. We and continue to advance the development of novel biomaterial scaffolds and clinically useful cell processing strategies.
In other words ...
Our laboratory is focused on developing and testing new therapies for patients who suffer diseases that result in the loss or healthy tissue. Fractures, bone loss (osteoporosis), arthritis and cartilage injuries are just a few of these conditions. We are also developing new methods of measuring the number of stem and progenitor cells a person has in different tissues of their body. These methods of measurement can provide a new way to assess the health of a tissue. They may enable the development of new cell therapies. They may also teach us about the process of aging. To stay healthy, our bodies must be in a constant state of regeneration and repair. Our future health requires that we constantly repair and replace the tissues that we lose each day due to natural processes, injury, degeneration or disease.
Highlighted Publications
Shinohara K, Greenfield S, Pan H, Vasanji A, Kumagai K, Midura RJ, Kiedrowski M, Penn MS, Muschler GF. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 improve recruitment of osteogenic cells into sites of musculoskeletal repair. J Orthop Res. 2011;29:1064-9. doi: 10.1002/jor.21374.
Muschler GF, Raut VP, Patterson TE, Wenke JC, Hollinger JO. The design and use of animal models for translational research in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Tissue Eng Part B Rev. 2010;16:123-45. Review.
McLain RF, Boehm CA, Rufo-Smith C, Muschler GF. Transpedicular aspiration of osteoprogenitor cells from the vertebral body: progenitor cell concentrations affected by serial aspiration. Spine J. 2009;9:995-1002.
Marcantonio NA, Boehm CA, Rozic RJ, Au A, Wells A, Muschler GF, Griffith LG. The influence of tethered epidermal growth factor on connective tissue progenitor colony formation. Biomaterials. 2009;30:4629-38.
Villarruel SM, Boehm CA, Pennington M, Bryan JA, Powell KA, Muschler GF. The effect of oxygen tension on the in vitro assay of human osteoblastic connective tissue progenitor cells. J Orthop Res. 2008;26:1390-7.
