# Mechanobiology of tendon development, growth, and maturation

> **NIH NIH R21** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $217,140

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 With injury, tendon function is compromised due to poor healing and failure to regenerate native structure.
There is an unmet clinical need for effective biologic therapies that improve tendon healing. However, this is
limited by our incomplete understanding of basic tendon biology. In particular, the regulation of tendon cell fate,
growth, and maturation during development remains poorly understood.
 One critical regulator of tendon development is muscle forces. During development, muscle forces are
required for tendon patterning and growth. However, the mechanisms by which tendon cells translate
mechanical cues into biological responses (mechanotransduction pathways), and how mechanical forces
regulate specific aspects of development (cell proliferation, matrix elaboration, and functional maturation) is not
understood. To address this knowledge gap, we established a 3D engineered tendon platform to model tendon
mechanobiology during development, since muscle forces are not easily measured or controlled in vivo during
developmental stages. We now propose to apply this engineered tendon platform to define the contributions of
cells and matrix to tendon growth and test the requirement of two major mechanotransduction pathways
(YAP/TAZ, MRTF/SRF). Our central premise is that muscle-mediated tendon growth and maturation during in
vitro and in vivo development is mediated by YAP/TAZ and MRTF/SRF mechanotransduction. We further
propose these pathways regulate distinct aspects and stages of tendon development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10372736
- **Project number:** 1R21AR078966-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Alice H Huang
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $217,140
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10372736

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10372736, Mechanobiology of tendon development, growth, and maturation (1R21AR078966-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10372736. Licensed CC0.

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