[SBSR Roster]

The Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration [SBSR] study section reviews applications involving both basic and applied aspects of the musculoskeletal system, with a focus on bone, cartilage, ligament, and tendon at the tissue and organ level; their interaction in joints, including those in the spine; their development; their response to normal loading, injury, aging, and disease and disorders; as well as their regeneration and repair, all using cell, tissue, and animal models and human subjects.

Specific areas covered by SBSR:

• Molecular and cell biology of bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament injury and repair.
• Gene expression, gene regulation, and gene therapy in the processes of injury and repair of musculoskeletal tissues.  
• Mechanobiology and biomedical mechanics at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ level. 
• Understanding of the nature of injuries, disorders, and diseases involving the musculoskeletal system of developmental, infectious, degenerative, traumatic, and age-related etiologies.  This includes sports-related and repetitive motion disorders and the wear, injury-induced, and degenerative changes manifest in articular and meniscal cartilage.   
• Characterization of the intrinsic capacity of musculoskeletal tissues and joints to repair and regenerate, as well as the development and application of strategies to enhance repair, including the use of biomolecular (e.g. cytokines, growth, and differentiation factors), biomaterials, mechanical and cellular approaches (tissue engineering), limb lengthening techniques, and targeted physical rehabilitation programs.
• Joint mechanics (including forces and kinematics) and joint replacement (including design, materials, fixation, wear, and other modes of failure.

SBSR has the following shared interests within the MOSS IRG:

• Arthritis, Connective Tissue, and Skin [ACTS]:  Changes in articular cartilage (cells, matrix, and architecture) occur in the inflammatory arthridites (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) as well as osteoarthritis.  ACTS could review studies of arthritis focusing on systemic inflammatory processes.  Studies of cartilage degeneration and associated changes in bone and joints following joint injury and instability, or developmental disorders (e.g. DDH), as well as the study of articular cartilage in normal growth and development could be assigned to SBSR.  Studies of injuries and their treatment for conditions, such as osteochrondritis dissecans and osteoarticular fractures, may be assigned to SBSR.
  
  
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Sciences [MRS]: SBSR may review physical rehabilitation programs that relate directly to the success of treatment strategies associated with injuries or post-operative conditions of isolated musculoskeletal conditions.  Studies dealing with more systemic or multisystems disorders and/or degenerative states could be considered for review by MRS.
  
  
• Skeletal Biology Development and Disease [SBDD]:  Given the close link between bone research, basic and applied, there will be shared interests regarding applications that take a broad approach to musculoskeletal tissues.  Studies more appropriate for SBSR will have greater emphasis on the repair of bone, connective tissue, tendons/ligaments, and subsequent function of these tissues.  

SBSR has the following shared interests outside the MOSS IRG:

• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG:  Studies of musculoskeletal system development and aging are shared with the BDA IRG.  Studies that address questions specifically applicable to the musculoskeletal system may be assigned to SBSR.  Studies that use the musculoskeletal system as a model to address questions having broad applicability for either developmental biology or the biology of aging could be assigned to the BDA IRG. Studies of early developmental biology could be assigned to the BDA IRG; when the focus is on lineages committed to formation of musculoskeletal elements, assignment could be to SBSR.
   
• With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP] IRG and the Integrative, Functional, and Cognitive Neuroscience [IFCN] IRG:  Nerve injury and repair related to targeted musculoskeletal conditions constitute shared interests with the BBBP and IFCN IRGs, but may be included in SBSR.
  
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG:  Studies of musculoskeletal oncology may be assigned to SBSR when the emphasis of the study is on the function of the musculoskeletal system or elucidation of the nature of growth, development, aging, or other disease of skeletal tissues.  The ONC IRG could be assigned other aspects of musculoskeletal oncology.
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition, and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG:  (1) There are shared interests in the areas of remodeling and pelvic floor support.  Applications whose endpoints are remodeling of reproductive tissues may be assigned to the EMNR IRG.  On the other hand, studies evaluating alterations in the supporting pelvic floor musculoskeletal structures may be assigned to SBSR.   (2) The effects of nutrients and other food components where bone disease may a part of the study may be assigned to the EMNR IRG.  Applications with a primary focus on bone disease, injury or repair, where nutrients or general nutrition may be a part of the study may be assigned to SBSR.
  
  
• With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging, and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG and the Bioengineering Sciences & Technologies [BST] IRG: Studies of the load-bearing requirements of implants intended to replace or reinforce portions of the skeletal system, and studies examining tissue engineering, biomaterials, and implant mechanics specific to the musculoskeletal system could be assigned to SBSR.  Studies designed to address more general principles of biomaterial design and development and non-musculoskeletal aspects of tissue engineering and biomechanics may be considered under the auspices of the BST IRG and the SBIB IRG.