Talk from Dr Joan Chang on “Collagen-I in rare diseases – new dynamical insights”

Collagen-I is one of the most abundant extracellular matrix protein in the human body, where dysregulation leads to a range of diseases and conditions, including rare diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and musculoskeletal genetic conditions such as osteogenesis imperfecta and ehlers-danlos syndrome. It is traditionally seen as a stable structural molecule, however our research has demonstrated a highly dynamical aspect to collagen homeostasis, including circadian regulation and endocytic recycling. Using animal models, we have also identified an unexplored function for collagen-I-derived peptides in musculoskeletal development. These new insights and preliminary results will be presented in this seminar.