A researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a $1.7 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases to study how physical activity improves bone health.
Jinhu Xiong, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine and one of several researchers focusing on bone science at the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research on the UAMS campus in Little Rock.
During the body’s normal cycles, osteoblasts build new bone and osteoclasts reabsorb old bone. When they are out of balance, osteoporosis or other conditions related to bone loss can develop.
This grant funding will allow Xiong to test his hypothesis about the connection between osteocytes and physical activity in a number of different ways.
“Ultimately, we’re seeking to understand the biologic underpinnings of this interplay between the osteocytes, physical activity and osteoblasts, so we can find a particular protein or pathway to target with a drug therapy,” Xiong said in a news release. “It’s a promising route for finding a potential treatment for osteoporosis and other types of bone loss.”
In addition, as he moves into his career as a self-supporting scientist with this grant, a spot will open in the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research for another early-career scientist interested in bone research.
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