Biotechnologies Track
08:30 - 09:30
"Biomechanics and Inflammation: Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System"
Christopher T. Chen, Ph.D.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Mechanical signals generated by exercise and joint loading are indispensable for the homeostasis of the muculoskeletal tissues including muscle, bone, tendon and cartilage. Many recent studies demonstrate that mechanical signals either synergize with pro-inflammatory cytokines or counteract their actions as an anti-inflammatory mediator depending on the cell type and conditions of mechanical loading (magnitude, duration, loading history, and frequency). Although the exact molecular basis of these mechanobiological mechanisms are as yet to be determined, the significance of mechanical signals for health and diseases of the musculoskeletal system is visible on the horizon. The purpose of this talk is to present the current scientific knowledge on the anti-inflammatory aspects of mechanical signals, how loading may be beneficial to inflamed joints, and to discuss the potential therapeutic advantage of mechanical signals for the repair of damaged and injured cartilage.
About the Speaker
Christopher T. Chen, Ph. D. is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UT Southwestern. He is also a faculty member of the UTSW-UTA-UTD Biomedical Engineering Program and an Adjunct faculty member at the Cornell Medical Center. The goal Dr. Chen’s research is to detect ealry changes of injured joints and to identify the roles of mechanobiology in joint inflammation, cartilage degeneration and connective tissue regeneration. He has contributed to more than 30 peer-review publications in the field of orthopedics and bioengineering. Dr. Chen received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from National Taiwan University, Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison and postdoctoral training in biochemistry from Cornell University.
.jpg){kind=logo}
