PhD defence Claudia B. Del Toro Runzer

Keywords: Chemically modified mRNA, Bone regeneration, Fracture healing, Tissue engineering

"Code for Bone: Exploring mRNA-Based Strategies for Complex Fracture Healing"

This thesis investigated a new approach to help bones heal when natural repair fails, such as after severe injuries or bone loss. Normally, bones can regenerate without scarring, but large or complicated fractures often do not heal properly and require surgery. Current treatments, like bone grafts or protein-based therapies, have several drawbacks, including limited supply, risk of complications, and poor control over where and how long healing signals act.

To overcome these issues, this research explored the use of chemically modified messenger RNA (cmRNA) as a temporary and localized therapy to stimulate bone repair. cmRNA was used to deliver genetic instructions for bone-healing proteins, such as BMP-7 and BMP-2, directly to target cells using safe lipid-based carriers and biocompatible scaffolds. The studies showed that cmRNA successfully triggered bone formation and tissue growth, demonstrating a promising, safer, and more effective alternative to current bone regeneration treatments.

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