Michaela Tencerova's notes from the 3rd International Meeting on Bone Marrow Adiposity
Post Doc Michaela Tencerova attended the 3rd International Meeting on Bone Marrow Adiposity held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, 31 August-1 September 2017, with a travel grant from Danish Diabetes Academy.
LAUSANNE A BEAUTIFUL SWISS CITY SITUATED ON THE BORDER OF LAC LEMAN LAKE WITH THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
“Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of a good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.” (Pierre de Coubertin)
The objective of the BMA meeting was to provide an environment that allows for the exchange of knowledge and discussions in the emerging field of bone marrow adiposity. The meeting brought together scientists and physicians from different backgrounds (bone metabolism, engineering, cancer, obesity and diabetes) to share ideas and advance the research and our understanding of the patho/physiological role of adipocytes in the bone marrow.
BONE MARROW ADIPOCYTES ARE GAINING INCREASING ATTENTION AS A THERAPEUTIC TARGET
The bone marrow in adults consists mostly of fat and there is a direct relationship between marrow fat and a risk of bone fractures or osteoporosis. Bone marrow fat cells, or adipocytes, have also been shown to have a systemic effect on metabolism. Preventing the formation of adipocytes in the bone marrow can accelerate blood production, which could be of help to patients recovering from chemotherapy. Moreover, this tissue secretes systematically several factors, which might contribute to regulation of systemic glucose metabolism. Bone marrow adipocytes are gaining increasing attention as a therapeutic target, however much remains to be discovered in order to harness their potential in metabolic, cancer, or regenerative therapies.
OBESITY AFFECTS INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN BONE MARROW STROMAL STEM CELLS IN HEALTHY MEN
At this meeting Michaela Tencerova presented her work entitled “Obesity affects insulin sensitivity in bone marrow stromal stem cells in healthy men” as an Oral presentation. According to Michaela Tencerova, she received nice feedback of the colleagues on their work and great suggestions for continuing research. Moreover, she had the opportunity to interact with the leading scientists of the field and discuss several ideas of recent research and possible collaborations in future projects.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BONE MARROW ADIPOSITY SOCIETY
In addition, in this two day meeting, she learnt a lot from world experts presented and discussed topics of interest related to bone marrow adiposity in the format of oral and poster presentations, including the characterization (phenotype, function, differentiation, and imaging) of bone marrow adipocytes, the microenvironment and the pathophysiology of bone marrow adipocytes (involvement in osteoporosis, diabetes or malignant diseases, and therapeutic perspectives). Further, at this meeting the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society was created, in which they became official members.
Generally I found this meeting very interactive and the atmosphere during the meeting very friendly leaving you with inspirations for further research, Michaela Tencerova concludes.