LEARNING FROM NATURE
In order to understand the structural role of the osteochondral unit, i.e., the articular cartilage and the underlying bone, we are investigating the build-up of these tissues in different mammals ranging from mice, to whales and elephants. Our group has built a “Cartilage tissue biobank” with tissues of over one hundred different species collected, underscoring the specific loading-related differences between aquatic and terrestrial mammals.
Mammals living on land or in water experience hugely differing loading conditions, which can be supposed to affect their skeletal system. Some differences in structure of both the cartilage and bone component of the osteochondral unit have been demonstrated between mammals living on land and water. However, data are limited and semi-aquatic mammals, which bridge the divide between an aquatic and terrestrial lifestyle, have not been researched. The possible adaptations of the osteochondral unit from aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial mammals to their loading environment is still poorly understood.
We are studying the cartilage and bone tissues of these different mammalian species to further understand the scaling and intricate organisation of the extracellular matrix and its relation to the mechanical loading, which we believe is the underlying cause of the observed fundamental structural difference in the build-up of these tissues.
