Regulation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and regenerative processes by inflammatory factors

Drenka Trivanovic, Andrea Knorz, Bianca Schlierf, Theresa Kreuzahler, Marietta Herrmann

Inflammation is related to many skeletal disorders including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, fractures, and general bone loss. However, our understanding of the behavior of the rare population of bone marrow stem and progenitor cells (BMSC) is limited. This project synthesizes concepts from stem cell biology, physiology, and bioengineering to study the relationships between MSC and their inflammatory  (micro)environment e.g. in the bone fracture hematoma.

We are focused on three areas in skeletal stem cell physiology:  1) identification of BMSC properties in regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue, supporting marrow hematopoiesis and adipose tissue persistence; 2) evaluation of immune-modulatory features of BMSCs; 3) significance of hematoma factors in regulation of BMSCs stemness and interactions with immune cells. In addition, we also explore the BMSC production of extracellular vesicles and their regulatory potential (see below).

We have a particular interest in understanding how hematoma signals contribute to skeletal repair, and how perturbations of immune and hematopoietic systems influence bone healing. Our mouse bone defect model allows us to study the cellular milieu and interactions at the early stage of hematoma formation.

Publications

• Marietta Herrmann, Solvig Diederichs, Svitlana Melnik, Jana Riegger, Drenka Trivanovic, Shushan Li, Zsusza Jenei-Lanzl, Rolf E. Brenner, Markus Huber-Lang, Frank Zaucke, Frank A. Schildberg, Susanne Grässel. Extracellular Vesicles in Musculoskeletal Pathologies and Regeneration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2021 doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.624096
• Marietta Herrmann, Franz Jakob. Bone Marrow Niches for Skeletal Progenitor Cells and their Inhabitants in Health and Disease. Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2019 doi.org/10.2174/1574888X14666190123161447