MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SEMINAR
DATE: THURSDAY, 9/29
ROOM: LILLY AUDITORIUM,

THE ROLE

OF

TIME: 11:00 AM
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

WNT/-CATENIN SIGNALING IN THE DEGENERATION

INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS

OF

Dr. Nilsson Holguin

Washington University in St. Louis
ABSTRACT
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc is a significant etiological factor to low
back pain, which is one of leading causes of job disability worldwide. The
intervertebral disc is persistently exposed to a diverse array of mechanical
forces that in excess or with normal aging contribute to its degeneration. The
long-term goal is to prevent and reverse intervertebral disc degeneration,
where understanding its early manifestation will inform treatment strategies. To
that end, the tissue-level (mechanics), molecular-level (extracellular matrix
constituents), and cellular-level (Wnt activity) responses of murine
intervertebral discs to aging and exogenous application of mechanical forces
was determined. Then, the cellular response to degeneration-inducing stimuli
was mimicked in genetic knockout mice and reversed in an overexpression
model. Manipulation of signaling pathways contributing to disc degeneration by
damaging mechanical forces and/or aging may serve as a therapeutic target.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Nilsson Holguin received his BS in Engineering from Trinity College and his
Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. After graduated in 2010, he joined School of
Medicine of Washington University in St. Louis as post-doctoral scholar and
research instructor. He has been studying intervertebral discs and cartilage
using biological and mechanical approaches. Dr. Holguins research has been
supported by funding from NIH/NIAMS F32, NASA/Harriette G. Jenkins PreDoctoral Fellowship, and W. Burghardt Turner Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. Dr.
Holguin has received several prestige awards, such as Harold Frost Young
Investigator Award-46th International Sun Valley Workshop on Musculoskeletal
Biology.