UMaine Professor Receives $1.28 Million for Tendon Research
Contact: Clarissa Henry (207) 581-2816; David Munson (207) 581-3777
ORONO, Maine – UMaine Department of Biological Sciences professor Clarissa Henry was recently awarded more than $1.28 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute for Child Health and Human Development to study how tendons develop inside zebrafish embryos. The research could help scientists develop better treatment methods for everything from muscular dystrophy to tendonitis.
Exploring tendon formation and attachment in the embryo is the next step in Henry’s pioneering efforts to describe the complexities of early development in vertebrates using zebrafish. Her previous research, funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, looked at how embryonic muscle cells develop. Her pioneering work in the use of the tiny fish as a model organism offers significant advantages in the study of cell development.
Henry’s early work uncovered extensive data regarding muscle cell development, laying the foundation for further research related to tendon attachment and other processes. The new research path funded by the NIH has already led Henry and her team to some important discoveries.
“Tendons are incredibly important structures, but exceedingly little is known about tendon development,” said Henry. “Traditionally, developing tendons in embryos are thought of as relatively homogenous structures, with similar protein structure throughout. We have found that that is decidedly not the case. Tendon structure is spatially and temporally dynamic. We’re very excited about looking further at how the type and location of tendon proteins change over time.”
Recent studies have shown that many of the processes that occur during zebrafish development are very similar to the developmental changes that occur in mammals, including humans, making Henry’s discoveries particularly important in the treatment of injuries and disease.