Bones are an essential part of our bodies. There are approximately 33.6 million people in the US alone who suffer from diseases that cause bone density loss such as osteoporosis. Since the skeletal system provides the body’s main support and movement, patients afflicted with musculoskeletal disorders gradually lose their quality of life. Most common pharmaceutical drugs on the market are an antibody that binds and inhibits receptor activator nuclear kappa factor ligand, RANKL to prevent bone resorption but secondary effects include low blood calcium levels, jaw problems and thigh fractures. Other common treatments are bisphosphonates which strongly bind to bone mineral and inhibit mature osteoclasts upon resorption but can’t be taken over prolonged periods of time. In many cases, because of this, patients with bone density loss opt on getting bone scaffolds or implants. Both of these materials require surgically invasive procedures and the bioactivity of these is not guaranteed. As a means to counteract the need for these materials and implantation procedures, I am working on the creation of an injectable scaffold with the ability to promote inherent bone formation by imitating the bone extracellular matrix and promoting cell adhesion through membrane protein binding molecules. My hypothesis is that creating a material that stimulates osteoblastic cell adhesion and differentiation through cell signaling molecules on attached to this material, new bone formation will be promoted.
For this project to continue with the correct scientific basis and guidance I wish to attend a conference to meet up with scientists knowledgeable in this field to learn about their projects and opinions on mine. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/NoMoreBoneLoss if you wish to help me make this happen!