An Interdisciplinary Approach to Assess and Restore Bone Function

Tamim Diab, Ph.D.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

There is a clear need for better understanding of how to restore bone function following disease and injury.  This talk will be divided into three parts. In the first part, the effects of microdamage morphology (linear microcracks and diffuse damage) on bone fragility will be addressed.  Using a combined fatigue and fracture mechanics approach, we have shown that the propensity of bone to form  a  particular  damage  morphology  is  subject  to  change  with  age  and  that  the  propensity  of young  individuals  to  form  diffuse  damage  over  linear  microcracks  plays  a  critical  role  in  the ability  of  bone  to  dissipate  energy  and  resist  a  catastrophic  fracture.    In  the  second  part,  the additive  effects  of  combining  two  different  osteoporosis  drugs  (raloxifene  and  alendronate)  on the biomechanical properties of bone will be assessed.  Our results show that the   combination of raloxifene  and  alendronate  increases  bone  volume  more  than  either  agent  administered  alone, resulting  in  an  improvement  of  the  extrinsic  biomechanical  properties  of  vertebral  bone.  In  the third part, the efficiency of human mesenchymal stem cells to regenerate bone will be discussed. Our  data  suggest  that  the  delivery  of angiogenic  or/and  osteogenic  factors  may  be  necessary  to fully restore bone function.  

Tamim  Diab  received  his  Ph.D.  in  Biomedical  Engineering  and  M.Eng.  in  Mechanical  Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Damascus  University.    After  receiving  his  PhD,  he  did  a  postdoctoral  fellowship  at  Indiana University School of Medicine in the area of bone  remodeling.  Afterwards, he did a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Institute of Technology in the area of bone tissue engineering.  Following his postdoctoral  fellowship  at  Georgia  Institute  of  Technology,  Dr.  Diab  was  promoted  to  a  research faculty position.  His current research is focused on developing therapeutics for osteoporosis and nonunion bone fractures.  He has received a Young Investigator Award from the American Society of  Bone  and  Mineral  Research  (ASBMR)  to  investigate  the  additive  effects  of  two  different osteoporosis drugs (raloxifene and alendronate) on the biomechanical properties of bone.