Chemical signals that help skull bone healing
Cxcl12-Hedgehog signaling in cranial bone regeneration
This work finds out how chemical signals guide stem cells to repair skull bone injuries for people with skull defects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Medical School NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128359 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study how signals like CXCL12 and Hedgehog, and the gene GNAS, control stem cells in the skull suture so they expand, move to injury sites, and become bone-making cells. They will use laboratory experiments and animal (mouse) models alongside human genetic and tissue data to track cell behavior and molecular signals. The team aims to identify which signals promote healing of large or non-healing skull defects and test ways to boost those signals in damaged bone. Findings could point to new approaches that move from lab tests toward treatments to improve skull bone repair.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with calvarial (skull) bone defects, traumatic skull injuries, or non-healing/critical-size skull defects could be candidates for future therapies informed by this work.
Not a fit: Patients without skull or craniofacial bone problems, or those whose bone loss is primarily due to widespread metabolic disease, infection, or cancer, may not benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that encourage stronger, faster regrowth of skull bone and reduce the need for complex grafts or repeat surgeries.
How similar studies have performed: Related lab and animal studies have shown that Hedgehog and chemokine signaling affect bone formation, but clinical treatments for human skull regeneration are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard Medical School — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Yingzi — Harvard Medical School
- Study coordinator: Yang, Yingzi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.