How fats help the growth plate drive bone growth
Lipid metabolism in the growth plate
This work looks at whether growing bones use fats for energy and how that affects growth in children and people with lipid metabolism disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11241085 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project examines how cells in the growth plate—the area of a bone where lengthening happens—handle and use lipids during periods of rapid growth. The team traces labeled fats and examines lipid droplets in different growth plate zones using laboratory and animal experiments to see where fats go and how cells use them. They will link those findings to conditions where lipid handling is abnormal, such as peroxisomal and lipid storage disorders, to understand causes of short stature. If human tissue or clinical data are used, the researchers may compare those results with observations from patients who have growth failure related to lipid problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most relevant to this work would include children or adults with unexplained short stature or those with known lipid metabolism or storage disorders.
Not a fit: Patients whose short stature is caused by non-metabolic issues such as structural bone malformations or classic growth hormone deficiency may not benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new ways to prevent or treat growth failure by targeting how the growth plate uses fats.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work links lipid disorders to short stature, but directly examining lipid use in growth plate cells is relatively new and not yet well established.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Otsuru, Satoru — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Otsuru, Satoru
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.