European Calcified Tissue Society

ECTS/Amgen Bone Biology Fellowship

The nomination process is now closed and the results will be announced during the ECTS 2012 congress in Stockholm 19-23 May.

2011 Award Announcement

Term
3-year fellowship program (shorter terms will not be considered)

Eligibility

any scientist or clinician working in the field of bone biology
applicant must be a European member of ECTS and be working in a European institution. Applications will be considered from European members who are working in an International institution if a strong case can be presented for performing the research outside of Europe
previous recipients of an ECTS/Amgen Bone Biology Fellowship or ECTS/Servier Fellowship are not eligible to apply
applicant may only apply for one award (i.e. applicants for the ECTS/Amgen Bone Biology Fellowship may not apply for any other ECTS award in the current year)

Amount
€100,000 (Euros), of which 50% shall be deployed to cover salary costs

Review Procedure
All applications are reviewed by an independent panel of reviewers . The final decision is based on the marks and comments from the reviewers and any conflicts of interest are identified and dealt with appropriately.

Please note

applicants should clearly indicate in their application how the ECTS /Amgen funds are going to be used and which additional funds they have in place for their studies
funds are not to be used for university/institution overheads
applications must be made on-line from the ECTS web site

Link here to 2012 Application Form

2011 Award

2011 AWARD ANNOUNCED DURING THE 3RD JOINT MEETING OF THE ECTS AND IBMS IN ATHENS
The 2011 ECTS/AMGEN Bone Biology Fellowship was presented to Nicolas Bonnet (Geneva, Switzerland) on Sunday 8 May at the Megaron ICC in Athens.

ECTS/Amgen Bone Biology Fellowship recipient Nicolas Bonnet (centre) with Professor Roland Baron - ECTS President (right) and Peter Gillberg - Medical Director Amgen

Title:

Regulation of sclerostin-dependent bone modeling and remodeling responses by the matricellular protein periostin

Abstract of research:

Bone mass increases in response to physical activity and exposure to intermittent parathyroid hormone, conversely decreases in response to immobilisation. Our ongoing studies highlight that bone adaptation to anabolic stimuli is altered in mice deficient for a protein of the bone matrix named periostin. Hence periostin could directly influence the activity of osteoblast, the bone forming cells. Our research purpose is to study the skeletal response of periostin-deficient mice exposed to PTH, mechanical stimuli fatigue loading or unloading. Moreover we will analyze the molecular pathways regulated by periostin in response to PTH and mechanical loading, particularly the regulation of sclerostin expression and beta catenin signaling, which is a major pathway for the stimulation of bone formation. We expect to better understand the relationship between bone matrix components and Sclerostin/Wnt-LRP5 signaling and to demonstrate that periostin is an important regulator for skeletal adaptation.

Previous award winners

2010 Philip Riches (Edinburgh, UK)
2009 Anna Daroszewska (Edinburgh, UK)
2008 Martina Rauner (Vienna, Austria)
2007 Andrea del Fattore (L’Aquila, Italy)
2006 Aymen Idris (Edinburgh, UK)

Publications resulting from research – Martina Rauner

1. Rauner M, Goettsch C, Stein N, Thiele S, Bornhaeuser M, De Bosscher K, Haegeman G, Tuckermann J and Hofbauer LC. Dissociation of osteogenic and immunological effects by the selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist, compound A, in human bone marrow stromal cells. Endocrinology 2011;152:103-112

2. Rauch A, Gossye V, Bracke D, Gevaert E, Jacques P, Van Beneden K, Vandooren B, Rauner M, Hofbauer LC, Haegeman G, Elewaut D, Tuckermann JP, De Bosscher K. An anti-inflammatory selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator protects osteoblast differentiation. FASEB J 2011;25:1323-1332

3. Hofbauer LC and Rauner M. MINIREVIEW: Live and let die: molecular effects of glucocorticoids on bone cells. Mol Endocrinol 2009;23:1525-1531

4. Bauer W*, Rauner M*, Haase M, Kyttälä S, Arabanian L, Habermann I, Hofbauer LC, Ehninger G, Kiani A. Osteomyelosclerosis, anemia and extramedullary hematopoiesis in mice lacking the transcription factor NFATc2. Haematologica, in press

5. Rauner M, Stein N, Winzer M, Goettsch C, Zwerina J, Schett G, Albers J, Schulze J, Schinke T, Bornhäuser M, Hofbauer LC. WNT5A is induced by inflammatory mediators in bone marrow stromal cells and regulates cytokine and chemokine production. J Bone Miner Res, in revision

Publications resulting from research – Aymen Idris

1. Aymen I. Idris, Maala Krishnan, Petra Simic, Euphemie Landao-Bassonga, Patrick Mollat, Slobodan Vukicevic, and Ralston SH. Small molecule inhibitors of IKK signalling inhibit osteoclast formation in vitro and ovariectomy induced bone loss in vivo. FASEB J. 24: 4545-4555, 2010.

2. Aymen I. Idris, E. Coste, I.R Greig, Ralston SH and R.J. van’t Hof. The orally active biphenyl carboxylic acid derivative ABD328 prevents ovariectomy bone loss in vivo. CTI. 2010; 87(6):525-32.

3. Aymen I. Idris, Helene Libouban, Hervé Nyangoga, Euphemie Landao-Bassonga, Daniel Chappard and Stuart Ralston. Pharmacological inhibitors of IKK suppress growth and migration of mammary carcinosarcoma cells in vitro and prevent osteolytic bone metastasis in vivo. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 2009 8:2339-2347.
Sarah Aitken, Euphemie Landao-Bassonga, Stuart H. Ralston and

4. Aymen I. Idris. Beta-2 adrenoreceptor ligands regulate osteoclast differentiation in vitro by direct and indirect mechanisms. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2009; 482:96-103.

5. Aymen I. Idris, S. Ralston and van ’t Hof, RJ. The nitrosylated Flurbiprofen derivative HCT1026 inhibits bone resorption by suppressing RANKL signalling. Eur J Pharmacol. 2009 602 (2-3): 215-222.
6. Aymen I. Idris, I.R Greig, S.H. Ralston and R.J. van’t Hof. Identification of Novel Biphenyl Carboxylic Acid Derivatives as Novel Antiresorptive Agents that Do Not Impair Parathyroid Hormone-Induced Bone Formation. Endocrinology. 2009; 150:5-13.

7. Aymen I. Idris, Emanuela Mrak, Iain Greig, Francesca Guidobonoc, Stuart H. Ralstona and Rob van’t Hof. ABD56 causes osteoclast apoptosis by inhibiting the NFκB and ERK pathways. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2008; 371 (1): 94-98.

8. Aymen I. Idris, I.R Greig, R.J. van’t Hof and S.H. Ralston. Aminobisphosphonates cause osteoblast apoptosis and inhibit bone nodule formation in vitro. Calcif Tissue Int. 2008; 82:191 - 201.

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