Investigating mineral ellipsoid stucture and composition in healthy and prostate cancer bone metastases vertebral bone samples

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in men, and the most common complication of this cancer is metastasis to bone, particularly, to the vertebrae. Mineral ellipsoids, a recently identified structural component of bone, are largely uncharacterized at both the structural and chemical level. Although these structures have been identified in mouse and human bone, their chemical composition in the vertebrae remains a fundamental question. This research aims to further our knowledge of bone structure and composition and to establish a baseline structure and chemical composition of mineral ellipsoids in healthy bone samples. By establishing this baseline on healthy tissue, the knowledge acquired could then be applied to diseased bone tissue in the future. Dr. Micheletti, an Assistant Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, is an expert on mineral ellipsoids. Her expertise in spectroscopy and her position at Chalmers will provide me with additional ways to characterize and understand bone composition. I can then return to my home institution with an increased breadth of knowledge on bone structure and characterization. The Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory is a leading hub for microscopy and spectroscopy in Europe, rendering this an excellent location to advance my materials characterization skills.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kathryn Grandfield

Student:

Partner:

Chalmers University of Technology

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program: