DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1444

Schulz and Schmidt-Bleek will investigate nutrition, aging and marrow adipose tissue in bone maintenance and regeneration. The marked induction of marrow adipogenesis particularly under pathological conditions of compromised metabolism, such as ageing and obesity, indicates that marrow adipocytes may contribute detrimental signals to bone maintenance and fracture repair. Schulz and Schmidt-Bleek therefore aim to assess metabolically active adipocytes under homeostatic conditions of the healthy bone and under conditions of acute bone injury. Dietary regimens and ageing and metabolic challenges will be used to determine whether molecular and metabolic differences in marrow adipocytes can be linked to efficient bone healing. They will examine human marrow adipocytes and adipogenic stem cell pools in human bones to determine whether compromised metabolism and ageing can also be linked to marrow adipocyte dysfunction and bone healing outcomes under clinical conditions.