UL awarded ERC grant to investigate osteoporosis
A researcher from the University of Limerick (UL) has one of the European Research Council (ERC)’s prestigious Starting Grants.
Dr David Hoey was awarded €1.5m to pursue cutting-edge fundamental research into developing innovative treatments for bone-loss diseases such as osteoporosis. According to the UL, every 30 seconds a person suffers an osteoporosis-related hip fracture in the EU. This injury can lead to many years of expensive treatment and, in some cases, can be fatal.
Hoey will use the funding to determine how physical loading, such as walking and running, helps to maintain a healthy skeleton. Current treatments for osteoporosis attempt to stop bone loss but have been linked to severe side effects. However, it is understood that exercise can promote a healthy skeleton through bone formation.
In a press release, Hoey explained how he would use the grant: “The human skeleton contains stem cells, residing within our bones. My research will focus on the stem cell primary cilium, which is an antennae-like structure that extends from the surface of these cells. This ‘antenna’ is required for stem cells to sense a physical load enabling the cell to change into a bone-forming cell and replace the lost bone. Understanding how this process works will enable us to mimic the beneficial effect of physical loading using newly developed drugs and therapeutics and will lead to innovative treatments for bone-loss diseases, such as osteoporosis.”
UL is one of two Irish institutions to receive ERC Starting Grants, the other being University College Dublin.
