CCMBM Fall Update

The Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology & Medicine (CCMBM) defines itself by emphasizing musculoskeletal-specific education and services that are critical to its members but not available elsewhere in the university system.
Center News & Updates:
Based on radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging studies, 64% of adults over 50 years old have PFJ (patellofemoral joint) OA, with one-third of them having isolated PFJOA. Furthermore, PFJOA is a major source of pain and dysfunction. Joint loading is integral to OA progression yet currently, very little is known regarding the biomechanical factors associated with PFJOA progression. The overall objective of this work is to identify specific gait biomechanics that predispose individuals to pain flares, and to identify changes in gait biomechanics that result from increases in pain symptoms.
Fig 2. Sample workflow and strategy for mass spectrometry analysis.
Femurs and tibia from wild-type mice were demineralized by rotating overnight in 1.2 M HCl and pulverized with a SPEX bead mill at 1500 strokes per minute for 2 minutes, the samples were allowed to cool in liquid nitrogen and pulverized for 2 more minutes as above. Proteins were extracted for 72 hours at 4° C in 6 M guanidine HCl. The extracted protein lysates were buffer exchanged into Tris-HCl to remove guanidine and digested with Strap columns and trypsin overnight. Subsequently, the proteolytic digestions were analyzed by MS in DIA mode for an in-depth proteome analysis on either the Orbitrap Exploris 480 or the Orbitrap Eclipse Mass Spectrometer.
Mass spectrometric analyses provides a crucial molecular tool-kit to understand complex signaling relationships in age-related diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. However, proteomic profiling of bone tissue has been limited by challenges presented by the mineralized bone extracellular matrix. Dr. Schilling’s laboratory has developed a new proteomic profiling pipeline for bone that provides superior results. Read all about it in their new article in PLoS One.

Here we introduce a novel mass spectrometric workflow to promote proteomic studies of bone. This workflow uses highly specialized steps, including extensive overnight demineralization, pulverization, and incubation for 72 h in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and EDTA, followed by proteolytic digestion.
Jacob P. Rose, Charles A. Schurman, Christina D. King, Joanna Bons, Sandip K. Patel, Jordan B. Burton, Amy O'Broin, Tamara Alliston, Birgit Schilling. Deep coverage and quantification of the bone proteome provides enhanced opportunities for new discoveries in skeletal biology and disease. PLoS One. 2023 Oct, 18:e0292268. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292268. PMID: 37816044; PMCID: PMC10564166.
The CCMBM Skeletal Biology and Biomechanics Core host a hybrid workshop on August 30th to learn more about skeletal proteomics from our colleagues at the Buck Institute and Medical University of South Carolina. Thank you so much for a great workshop! Be sure to revisit the recording if you weren't able to attend live.
We are excited to host the above upcoming seminars and bring speakers to the UCSF community this 2023-2024 academic year. CCMBM members, including junior investigators, trainees and learners, have priority to meet with visiting faculty speakers. The CCMBM Seminar Committee will follow up with scheduling details as we near each speaker’s visit. Contact Pui Yee Law if you would like us to consider and invite potential speakers to visit UCSF.
As part of our ongoing efforts to make the CCMBM's resources available to as wide of an audience as possible, we are making all of the content on our member website available to the public! As of today, our new Resources section contains a wide range of valuable information to help you with your research, including:
  • Recordings of recent talks
  • Protocols
  • List of available skeletal cell lines
  • SOP documents
  • ...and more
The mission of the UCSF Musculoskeletal (MSK) Training Program is to prepare a diverse community of Ph.D. scientists and M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. residents and fellows for a lifetime of scholarly pursuits that lead to in-depth understanding and improved care of patients with MSK diseases.
Eva González Díaz, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Orthopaedic Surgery
Project: Investigating the role of the gut microbiome in musculoskeletal tissue aging
Syed Ali, MD
Resident, Orthopaedic Surgery
Project: CRP as an early predictor of fracture-related infection (FRI)
Upasana Bharadwaj, MD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Project: Large-scale imaging analysis of the association between thigh muscle biomarkers and knee osteoarthritis outcomes using deep learning
Lindsey Lin, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Bioengineering
Kyle Cromer, PhD
Assistant Professor
Surgery
Verima Pereira, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Hematology and Oncology
Minhao Zhou, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Ruchika Bajaj, PhD
Assistant Specialist
Ophthalmology
Eva González Díaz, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Orthopaedic Surgery
Ellen Fung, PhD, RD
Adjunct Professor
Pediatrics
Naoki Takegami, MD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Neurological Surgery
Luis Savastano, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Neurological Surgery
Fueling MSK Health and Discovery with Data Science, High Tech, and Digital Health

Mark your calendars for the CCMBM/Department or Orthopaedic Surgery Spring Scientific Retreat scheduled for March 12-13, 2024. Location will be at UCSF Mission Bay Campus, Genentech Hall. Event details will be forthcoming as we draw closer to the retreat.
Awards Given on a Rolling Basis - Apply Today!
We have three more awards available in this grant year and will be awarding them on a rolling basis until all funds have been used.

The Grant Development Award provides funding for a junior CCMBM member to host a meeting (e.g., lunch or dinner) with 2-3 UCSF faculty members who are outside of the trainee’s current lab to: 

1) brainstorm/solicit informal feedback on a study idea or research direction
2) learn about the latest methods and techniques used in related fields
3) identify potential collaborators
4) promote inter-disciplinary MSK research
5) expand the trainee’s professional network

Download the form and email your application to Noah Bonnheim.
The CCMBM would like to help investigators strengthen their grant proposals in advance of any upcoming NIH deadlines. We invite CCMBM members to participate in the Grants Review program to receive 1:1 feedback and/or live panel review with peers as well as coaching from experienced investigators. If you are not a member, you may concurrently join during your grants review period.

Upcoming NIH Cycle III deadlines include:

R01 Grants: November 5, 2023
U01 Grants: November 5, 2023
K Series Grants: November 12, 2023

Fill out the sign up form to attend an upcoming session.
Funding Opportunities:
Application Deadline: October 27, 2023
The PIPE Interprofessional Clinical Opportunities Grant was created to support individual clinical sites in piloting new interprofessional immersive experiences for learners (students, residents and/or fellows) in the health professional programs at UCSF (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy). Selected proposals will receive one-time funding of $10,000 to create and pilot a new interprofessional immersive experience.

Learn more on the PIPE website, and direct any application-related questions to Wendy Brown.
Application Deadline: November 3, 2023
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for pre-clinical, translational, and early clinical research with the potential to produce unusually high impact, near-term advancements in melanoma prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

This cycle, proposals will be accepted for Team Science Awards, Academic-Industry Partnership Award (for Team Science Awards), Young Investigator Awards, Pilot Awards, and Dermatology Career Development Awards.

MRA plans to support at least $11.5 million in new funding in the 2023-2024 cycle.

Learn more about the different awards on the MRA website. Please note that the Young Investigator and Dermatology Career Development Awards require additional application materials that must be submitted by October 20, 2023.
Application Deadline: November 16, 2023
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. These programs may repay up to $100,000 of qualified student loan debt for a 2-year award to those committed to a career in biomedical research. The goal of these incredible and potentially life-changing programs is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals in research careers by lessening the burden of student loans. 

About 50 percent of LRP applications are funded each year and the mean award is $57,582. Many researchers have had all their student loan debt repaid by the NIH LRPs (over several awards).

Learn more about the different eligibility programs here.
Application Deadline: November 17, 2023
The Human Performance Center serves primarily as a research facility, partnering with other research labs, scientists, and companies around UCSF, and the entire Bay Area, to carry out studies in the areas of biomechanics, exercise physiology, and sleep & athletic performance.

This grant will provide “seed” opportunities for faculty, researchers, and trainees that have research needs involving biomechanics and/or exercise testing of which the HPC can provide and might lead to future funding.  Proposals with novel ideas as well as proposals that are an add-on to a current research study will be considered if the goal is to acquire pilot data for possible future funding.

The maximal amount of funds available for this fiscal year is $5,000 in HPC Services.

Learn more on the HPC website, and direct any application-related questions to Brooke Schultz.
Application Deadline: January 15, 2024, at 9:00am PST
The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is a public-private partnership that is authorized to serve by the Department of Defense to promote the development and delivery of innovative medical technologies to improve the health and safety of military personnel, veterans, and civilians.

MTEC is currently accepting project proposals for medical techniques, knowledge products, and materials (medical devices, drugs, and biologics) in the following focus areas: combat casualty care, military infectious diseases, military operational medicine, and aerospace medicine.

View the RPP here, and direct all questions to Kathy Zolman.
Recognizing the need for collaboration of MSK scientists with experts outside of the MSK field, we are providing support to MSK Center members to host a meal for a creative and enjoyable in-person networking meeting to stimulate these interactions and to further develop new research ideas and plans to fund them. Faculty, staff, and trainees who are MSKC/CCMBM members are encouraged to apply to host an event.

Download the form and email your application to Cristal Yee. 
UCSF Talks is a new resource for anyone interested in learning about the latest seminars happening at UCSF. It lists all seminars open to the entire UCSF community including regular seminar series, special seminars, supergroups, and thesis talks. If you would like to receive weekly event listing emails, you can sign up for the USCF Talks Google Group. To add an event to the website, please contact Jon Zhang.
Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM), 513 Parnassus Avenue, S-1161, San Francisco, CA 94143
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