Under the leadership of Teresita Bellido, PhD, the Bellido Laboratory investigates the mechanisms of signal transduction among and within bone cells, with particular emphasis on the biology of osteocytes. The laboratory employs in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models to study how hormones and mechanical force act on bone cells and affect their function and life span.
Active Research
Current projects investigate the regulation of the osteocyte-derived genes by PTH; the mechanisms by which PTH, mechanical stimulation, and canonical Wnt signaling regulate bone homeostasis through actions on osteocytes; interventions that counteract the deleterious effects of glucocorticoid excess on bone and muscle; and the role of osteocytes in multiple myeloma musculoskeletal disease.
Collaborative projects investigate the role of the transcription factor Nrf2 in the protection of the skeleton induced by berry diets; the function of connexin43 in bone; the role of estrogen receptor beta in osteocytes for mechanobiology; and the regulation of cartilage function by PTH receptor signaling. The laboratory receives funding from the NIH, VA and the biopharma industry.
