How bone marrow stem cells' cleanup affects bone aging
Official title: Efferocytosis by Bone Marrow Stromal Cells and Bone Aging
Funded at University of Rochester · NIH-11472060 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether changing how bone marrow stem cells clear dying cells can help keep older adults' bones stronger.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $11,060 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG076786-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11472060 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work would be most relevant to older adults with age-related bone loss or osteoporosis who are following research toward new treatments.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate treatment, those with bone loss from acute injury or non–age-related conditions, or younger individuals are unlikely to benefit directly from this early-stage laboratory work.
What this research studies
Scientists are studying bone marrow mesenchymal stromal (stem) cells and the process they use to clear away dying cells, called efferocytosis, and how that changes with age. In mice and lab-grown cells they will experimentally increase or decrease this cleanup process and measure effects on bone-forming activity, cell aging, and mitochondrial stress. The team uses mice engineered to boost the BAI1 receptor and analyzes gene activity and cell function to see if too much cleanup makes stem cells less able to form bone. The goal is to connect these cell-level changes to the bone loss seen with aging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to protect bones in older adults by targeting stem-cell cleanup or the mitochondrial stress that follows.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab studies show MSCs can engulf dying cells and early mouse data hint that boosting this cleanup may help bones, but the idea that excessive efferocytosis drives stem cell aging is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Calvi, Laura M — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Calvi, Laura M
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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.