Project description
The death of osteocytes
Bone homeostasis is a complex process that involves constant tissue remodelling by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Recent evidence underscores a role for osteocytes, the most abundant cell type in the bone. To further delineate how osteocytes influence bone adaptation, the EU-funded ODE project will investigate the process of cell death under physiological conditions and in certain bone diseases. Researchers will characterise osteocyte death and study which damage-associated molecular patterns are released into the bone microenvironment triggering osteoclast differentiation. Results have important implications for the healing of bone fractures as well as for treatments against inflammatory and post-menopausal bone loss.
Objective
Osteocytes are long-lived cells within the bone matrix that have a variety of functions in the control of bone remodeling. They are the most frequent cells of the bone by far and mediate the regulation of the mechanical loading-induced bone renewal at the systemic level. Little is known how osteocytes die and how this process affects local bone homeostasis. Nonetheless several local bone diseases such as fracture, osteonecrosis and arthritis are characterized by enhanced osteocyte death and local bone resorption. My preliminary data show that osteocytes, when dying, undergo secondary necrosis, due to their secluded localization within the bone and the absence of phagocyting cells. Hence substantial amounts of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are released into the bone micro-environment. I can show that DAMPs effectively osteoclast differentiation via binding to the C-type lectin receptor Mincle.
My proposal ODE aims to characterize osteocyte death, the nature of the released DAMPs and the molecular link between osteocyte death and stimulation of osteoclasts. I specifically aim to delineate, in which way osteocytes die within the bone matrix (apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis or pyroptosis) and which specific DAMPs are released into the bone marrow via the canalicular network. In this context, local bone diseases such as fracture, osteonecrosis and arthritis will be investigated. In aim 1, I will molecularly characterize osteocyte cell death and block the corresponding death pathways. In aim 2, I will determine putative molecular mechanisms driving osteoclast maturation through the pathways triggered by myeloid specific C-type lectin receptors. In aim 3, I will test the molecular mechanisms of osteocyte death-induced osteoclastogenesis. Overall, my proposal will gain new insights into local bone homeostasis, i.e. the molecular regulation of osteocyte death and the molecular links to an altered local bone microenvironment.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine rheumatology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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91054 Erlangen
Germany
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