Bones and Immunology Research

The Bones and Immunology Research Group coined, and continues to characterise osteal macrophages (osteomacs) including discovery of the paradigm shift recognising that macrophages participate in bone dynamics through promoting anabolic outcomes. Since the lab’s first landmark publication in this area in 2008 they have published 10 other related studies cementing the role of osteomacs in bone biology, pathology and repair.

The lab is undertaking pre-clinical development of therapies that can improve fracture healing outcomes with a goal to reduce morbidity and costs associated to osteoporosis. In collaboration with other Mater researchers, this research group has made integral contributions to the discovery that macrophages play a vital role in blood stem cell niches in the bone marrow and is continuing to uncover the functional and molecular contributions of macrophages to these niches, particularly to their recovery post-bone marrow transplantation. In collaboration with the Cancer Biology Research Group at Mater the lab is using these discoveries in bone and bone marrow biology to find new therapeutic targets in cancer metastasis to bone.