Contact information:
christian.fischer@mail.utoronto.ca

Training:
2009 – present
B.Sc. Materials Science (Technologie der Funktionswerkstoffe), University of Würzburg

Project:
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease and therefore effects bone and cartilage. As osteocytes are supposed to regulate bone remodeling and chondrocytes are responsible for cartilage I focus on the communication via soluble factors of those to cell types. I work with MLO-Y4 as osteocyte model and ATDC5 as chondroprogenitor. I induce apoptosis in MLO-Y4 analyze the release of soluble factors and study the effect of these factors on the differentiation of ATDC5 to chondrocytes and the formation of extra cellular matrix by them.