About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
A-23: Restoring Bone Mass Without Restoring Toughness: Multiscale Analysis of Anti–TGF-β Treatment in Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) |
| Author(s) |
Xiaqiu Xiao, Hanwen Fan, Ellen Busschers, Yuqing Chen, Carolina Leynes, Yangjin Bae, Brendan Lee, Yuxiao Zhou |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Xiaqiu Xiao |
| Abstract Scope |
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic collagen disorder characterized by bone fragility and elevated fracture risk. Anti–TGF-β therapy has shown promise in severe forms of OI, yet its effectiveness in the more prevalent mild OI subtype (Col1a1+/–) remains unclear. To evaluate treatment outcomes, we analyzed femurs from Col1a1+/– mice using whole-bone mechanical testing, micro–computed tomography (micro-CT), and digital volume correlation. Although anti–TGF-β treatment increased bone mass, it did not improve tissue-scale mechanical properties. Moreover, atomic force microscopy nanomechanical testing showed that the characteristic alternating stiff–soft lamellar organization was not restored. This lamellar structure is a key regulator of microscale fracture propagation and contributes substantially to bone toughness. Our findings suggest that while anti–TGF-β enhances bone quality, it does not recover the microscale lamellar architecture essential for energy absorption. Effective improvement of OI bone mechanics may therefore require therapeutic strategies that target structural organization across multiple length scales, not bone mass alone. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |