The University of California San Francisco Orthopaedic Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory is directed by Richard A. Schneider, Ph.D. Research focuses on molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying development and evolution of the skeletal system. An avian chimeric transplantation system is being used to identify genes that regulate the timing of skeletal differentiation, control skeletal size and shape, and enable skeletal elements to achieve structural and functional integration with surrounding tissues. Specifically, mesenchymal stem cells are exchanged between quail and duck embryos, which challenges resultant chimeras to assimilate donor versus host-specific differences in growth and morphology. A goal is to use such data to devise molecular-based therapies for inducing repair and regeneration of skeletal tissues affected by congenital defects, disease, and trauma.
Contact Information:
Orthopaedic Surgery Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Laboratory
Box 0514 , 533 Parnassus Ave, UC Hall U-470
San Francisco, CA. 94143 - 0514
Phone: 415-502-4945
Fax: 415-476-1128