Research project Following injury and/or immobilization of tendon and muscle, degenerative processes are initiated that result in structural changes and dysfunction. The purpose of the project is to establish suitable preventive strategies and to unravel key factors for tissue regeneration.
One aim of the project is to study tendons, a collagen-rich tissue that connects muscles to bone. The commonly considered mechanism of tendon healing is that muscle-induced contraction result in local events within the tendon such as inflammation and mechanotransduction that triggers tendon healing. However, the muscle as an endocrine organ is overlooked. We hypothesize that the secretome from muscle cells can reduce degeneration as well as stimulate regeneration of tendons, and that the positive effects are dependent on optimal loading regimes. We also study how muscle tissue can be preserved and have a functional recovery following immobilization. We specifically investigate how stem cell therapy can preserve denervated muscle until the muscle is re-innervated to achieve a successful functional recovery.
