Silky secrets to make bones

(University of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center) A study activated genes in human stem cells that initiate biomineralization, a key step in bone formation, according to a science team from Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Nottingham Trent University. Scientists engineered spider web silk combined with silica to activate cell membrane protein receptor integrin. The research will help scientists model intracellular pathways that govern bone formation and efforts to cure diseases such as osteoporosis and calcific aortic valve disease.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news