# Musculoskeletal Program ## expand\_more ### We rely on our musculoskeletal system not only for our daily activities but also for enriching our quality of life through engagement in sports, dance, and music. Injuries to the musculoskeletal system can take many forms, ranging from minor repetitive damage to severe traumatic injuries. Many of these injuries lead to chronic inflammation and degeneration as well as the other health comorbidities, including the loss of pain-free mobility. In the HSCI MSK Disease Program, we apply our discoveries in stem cell and developmental biology to develop innovative solutions to musculoskeletal injury and disease using regenerative medicine-based approaches. The interdisciplinary research labs within the HSCI MSK program span the Harvard-affiliated Hospitals and Harvard University, and utilize diverse systems including human pluripotent stem cells, mouse, zebrafish, and preclinical large animal models. ## What we explore: - The fundamental molecular, cellular, and biophysical mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal tissue biology and the etiology of disease to identify new targets for therapeutic development. - Our focus is on the unique and diverse tissues within the musculoskeletal system, including muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, meniscus, and bone. How do these tissues arise during development and how are they maintained throughout our lives? Recent developments in stem cell biology now allow us to design better ways to produce replacement tissues from iPSCs. - Our collaborations highlight the importance of understanding the integrative physiology of all the components of the musculoskeletal system, as their interdependence is a crucial part of maintaining overall health and function. Together, we are identifying ways to attenuate disease processes and promote repair or regenerate tissues at the site of injury or degeneration. ## What we have achieved so far: - HSCI MSK Disease Program investigators are identifying new candidates for therapeutic treatments that prevent or reverse degeneration, improving the quality of the target tissue. - Collaborations among the labs of the HSCI MSK Disease Program have accelerated the use of stem cells for tissue-replacement strategies (for example, an articular cartilage project is in animal studies currently) and high-throughput screening platforms to identify drugs that promote cartilage, tendon and muscle repair. - Researchers are exploiting the fundamental mechanisms underlying tissue response to mechanical loading to develop new therapeutic solutions for musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis, tendinopathy, and osteoarthritis. - HSCI researchers in collaboration with a biotechnology company are harnessing the power of gene editing to correct a genetic disease of the musculoskeletal system, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. - Identified circulating proteins that enable older muscle to repair more effectively like younger muscle. The HSCI MSK Disease Program leverages the important connections among our basic musculoskeletal research, the clinical capabilities of the Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the development know-how of the Boston biotechnology community. Our transformative approach enables us to spearhead the development of the next generation of orthopaedic treatments for musculoskeletal injuries and disease. ## Program Leaders: [### April M. Craft, Ph.D. ](/people/april-m-craft-phd)Assistant Professor, Boston Children's Hospital ![acraft2aa.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum10026/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/hsci/files/acraft2aa.jpg?itok=_-n1r5Om) [### Jenna Galloway, Ph.D. ](/people/jenna-galloway-phd)Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School ![Jenna Galloway.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10026/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/hsci/files/galloway_jenna_dec2019_mtb_web_0.jpg?itok=_x7Au7oD) [### Vicki Rosen, Ph.D. ](/people/vicki-rosen-phd)Harvard School of Dental Medicine ![Vicky Rosen photo credit Harvard Gazette](/sites/g/files/omnuum10026/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/hsci/files/rosen_vicky_hsdm.jpg?itok=_vLtiQaX) [### Amy Wagers, Ph.D. ](/people/amy-wagers-phd)Chair, Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Senior Investigator, Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center ![Headshot, Amy Wagers](/sites/g/files/omnuum10026/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/hsci/files/wagers_amy_harard_2018_01_1.jpg?itok=ovF9IE5U) ## Get the latest HSCI research news [Sign up for our monthly HSCI newsletter](http://eepurl.com/gbyqB1) to get email updates about our research. ## Related news [### How a small fish could lead to better strategies to repair tendon tears ](/news/how-small-fish-could-lead-better-strategies-repair-tendon-tears) October 30, 2023 This post originally appeared on the Mass General Research Institute blog Autumn means the return of fall sports such as soccer and football. Unfortunately, it can also lead to a new wave of sports-related injuries such as tendon tears. Last month, New... description [### Bone or cartilage: how stem cells repair bone fractures ](/news/bone-cartilage-van-gastel-2020) February 27, 2020 Study finds that fatty acids influence skeletal stem cell development When a bone fracture occurs, the stem cells that repair the injury either form new bone or new cartilage. A new study in the journal Nature has identified how this decision happens... description [### Muscular dystrophy collaboration aims to correct muscle stem cell DNA ](/news/muscular-dystrophy-collaboration-aims-correct-muscle-stem-cell-dna) January 27, 2020 HSCI research receives support from Sarepta to advance in-vivo genome editing toward prospective therapy HSCI researchers led by Amy Wagers, Ph.D. are embarking on a major study of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The project aims to use in vivo genome... description [### Cellular reprogramming approach promotes muscle regeneration in injured mice ](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/cp-cra050218.php) May 08, 2018 description [ More research news arrow\_circle\_right ](/news)