Error message

Please note: Our system will be undergoing maintenance on Thursday, May 25th , 8:30 AM ET, through Monday, June 5th , 12:30 PM ET, During this time, SFB login and transaction-related services will be down. Should you have any urgent issues, please reach out directly to info@biomaterials.org. Thank you!
  • Print

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin and His Team Advancements in Unlocking the Potential of Fibroblast Growth Factor for Tissue Regeneration

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin and His Team Advancements in Unlocking the Potential of Fibroblast Growth Factor for Tissue Regeneration  

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of the Connecticut Convergence for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at UConn Health Institute and his team have published a new article on how fibroblast growth factor eight (FGF-8) can control stem cells in regenerating musculoskeletal tissue. Results were published in the paper: Takayoshi Otsuka, Paulos Y. Mengsteab, Cato T. Laurencin. Control of mesenchymal cell fate via application of FGF-8b in vitro. Stem Cell Research, 51 2021 102155, doi.org/10.1016/j.scr.2021.102155. 

This historical use of FGF-8 sparked Dr. Laurencin and his team to investigate the role of FGF-8 in controlling the different types of tissue in the arms and legs. The team was able to demonstrate that FGF-8 stimulated similar signaling pathways in stem cells as seen during limb development and was able to direct the formation of musculoskeletal tissue. Furthermore, with the increasing attention towards the role of local fat in the knee joint and its contribution to inflammation, the application of FGF-8 may help in curbing the progression of osteoarthritis.