The guiding mission of Dr. Hankenson’s research is to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating bone regeneration. This research has two long-term translational goals: (1) eliminating human osteoporosis by developing therapies to restore lost bone, and (2) enhancing bone regeneration in both humans and animals, particularly in populations with poor healing such as geriatric patients and those with compromised non-healing fractures. Bone is formed by osteoblasts which develop from stem cells, termed mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). To this end, the Hankenson laboratory studies molecular and cellular mechanisms of MSC osteoblast differentiation (osteoblastogenesis)
