Research areas

Deciphering Mechanotransduction Pathways in Bone Regeneration: Our lab aims to investigate how various mechanical cues, such as strain, fluid shear stress, pore curvature, and hydrostatic pressure, are sensed and translated into cellular responses at the molecular level. This includes exploring the roles of key mechanosensors such as Piezo1, its downstream effectors YAP, and other potential pathways. A particular focus is on understanding the precise mechanical activation thresholds for mechanosensitive cells, including macrophages, skeletal stem cells (SSCs), and osteoprogenitors, during different phases of bone repair. We also seek to develop real-time in vivo imaging techniques to directly observe mechanotransduction events and cellular dynamics, moving beyond snapshot observations.

Elucidating Cell-Cell Communication and Angiogenesis-Osteogenesis Coupling: We are interested to unraveling the communication networks between various cell types critical for bone healing, particularly the interactions between osteoprogenitors, endothelial cells, and macrophages. This direction focuses on how mechanical loading orchestrates the angiogenesis-osteogenesis coupling, a process where new blood vessel formation is tightly linked to bone deposition, including the role of Type H vessels. We aim to identify specific mechanosensitive subtypes of skeletal stem cells derived from various bone compartments (e.g., periosteum, marrow) and their contributions to regeneration, as well as to clarify the mechanisms governing macrophage-osteogenesis and macrophage-angiogenesis coupling in response to mechanical stimuli.

Translating Mechanobiological Insights into Advanced Therapies: Our work is driven by the goal of optimizing therapeutic approaches to enhance fracture healing and address critical-sized bone defects. This involves designing and testing advanced biomaterials, such as bioceramic scaffolds with precisely engineered micrometer-scale pore curvatures, to guide endogenous stem cell recruitment and promote regeneration. We are also developing cell-based therapies, specifically utilizing mechanically conditioned macrophages, to enhance bone regeneration, vessel formation, and angiogenesis-osteogenesis coupling. This includes evaluating these strategies in animal models to facilitate eventual clinical translation for personalized orthopedic medicine.