ICMRS Scientific Frontier Webinar Series

Acoustic Imaging and Therapeutics for Tissue Characterization and Cellular Mechanotransduction

Presented by Yixian Qin, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Stony Brook University

When: December 5, 2020 (Saturday) 9:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

December 5, 2020 (Saturday) 8:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

2020年12月6日（星期日）北京时间上午10:00 （中国）

December 6, 2020 (Sunday) 10:00 AM Perth (Australia - Western Australia)

December 6, 2020 (Sunday) 1:00 PM Sydney (Australia - New South Wales)

Where: click here to view the recorded webinar. 

Short Biography: Prof. Qin is currently Professor and Chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Stony Brook University. Dr. Qin’s researches have been widely focused on several musculoskeletal tissue engineering and regeneration areas, such as biomechanics, mechanobiology, ultrasound imaging, noninvasive therapeutics, and nanotechnology, closely related to solving health problems such as osteoporosis and joint diseases. He is among the pioneers who discovered cellular and tissue response to optimized external mechanical stimulation through dynamic signals using various in vitro and empirical models. He is an expert in ultrasound diagnostic imaging and therapeutics for early prediction of bone loss and diseases like osteopenia and risk of fracture, and its guided noninvasive treatment, as well as their clinical translation. His researches have been funded through NIH, DoD, NASA, NSBRI, and NSF. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles in related leading journals and more than 24 book chapters in the field. He also holds more than 12 patents and disclosures. Prof. Qin has served ICMRS for more than 26 years as an active life member, president, and current board of chair. He has been involved in mentoring many doctoral students and postdocs.

Abstract: Osteoporosis and osteopenia are major health issues that mainly affect the elderly population, women after menopause, and immobilized patients. Mechanical stimulation has shown promising in bone adaptation, promoting bone formation, and enhancing healing. A review of musculoskeletal tissue and cell responses to dynamic mechanobiological signals will be provided. Among various physical regulations and modalities, such as mechanical strain/stress, electrical and magnetic and thermal fields, and fluid flow, quantitative ultrasound imaging and acoustic radiation force (ARF) provide unique approaches for evaluating both bone strength and density, particularly under the extreme condition like long-term space mission, and guided treatment in a mode of noninvasive and multiple configurations. Three folds of the studies will be presented, 1) scanning confocal acoustic navigation (SCAN) imaging for bone quality assessment; 2) guided ARF in the acceleration of fracture healing and promote tissue regeneration in disuse and fracture; and 3) cellular mechanism of loading induced proliferation and motility by key gene/proteins, i.e., sclerostin (Scl) and Piezo channels.  Recently, Piezo1 is proposed as a mechanotransducer in regulating the cellular response to external loading.   As an effective noninvasive method, ARF elevated by the low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), has been evaluated to promote bone regeneration and fracture healing. It is hypothesized that Piezo1, a mechanosensitive ion channel, could transduce ultrasound induced mechanical signals and activate downstream signaling processes. It has been shown that piezo (acoustics) induced ARF can promote Piezo1 activation and intracellular calcium influx, in which calcium acts as the second messenger in activating ERK1/2 phosphorylation and polymerization of perinuclear F-actin. ARF has the potential to regulate tissue adaptation and membrane channels, i.e., Piezo1, and eventually promote osteogenesis.

This webinar will be moderated by Dr. Liyun Wang, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware.

If you are not able to attend ICMRS webinars, you are welcome to click here for recorded videos from ICMRS Scientific Frontier Webinar Series.

For more information, please contact:

Jean Jiang, PhD

Chair, Education Committee, ICMRS

Professor and Zachry Distinguished University Chair

Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio