Identifying physeal cell surface markers for paediatric growth modulation

Cel

Disorders of skeletal growth in children represent a significant clinical challenge affecting stature, limb alignment and function. Longitudinal bone growth is driven by the physis (growth plate), a specialised cartilaginous tissue that integrates endocrine, metabolic and biomechanical signals to regulate bone elongation. Despite its central role in skeletal development, there is currently no strategy to selectively target the physis for therapeutic intervention. Existing treatments rely on systemic hormone therapy or invasive surgery, both of which lack anatomical specificity and can cause significant side effects or morbidity.

GROW-REG aims to establish the first molecular targeting platform for the physis by identifying cell surface markers that are enriched in physeal chondrocytes relative to articular cartilage and remain robust across postnatal development. These proteins represent potential molecular entry points for selective delivery of therapeutics directly to growth plate signalling pathways. The project builds on discoveries from the ERC-funded ReZone project, which revealed major transcriptomic differences between articular and physeal cartilage.

The research will generate the first systematic map of the physeal chondrocyte “surfaceome”. Candidate markers will be prioritised based on enrichment in physis over articular cartilage, confirmed cell-surface localisation, reproducibility across developmental stages, and suitability for therapeutic targeting.

GROW-REG will create the foundation for a targeted delivery platform capable of modulating growth plate activity with high anatomical precision. Our approach has the potential to enable new treatments for a broad range of paediatric growth disorders, reduce reliance on invasive surgery, and improve the safety and specificity of existing biologic therapies.