Our Research
The Wosczyna Laboratory studies how muscle-resident mesenchymal stromal cells contribute to skeletal-muscle maintenance and repair across injury, aging, and disease. We ask how cell lineage, communication with neighboring cells, and cellular state shape regeneration and pathological remodeling.
We combine genetic lineage tracing, intercellular-communication mapping, mitochondrial bioenergetics, quantitative morphometrics, and machine learning to connect stromal-cell biology with tissue function.
Research Themes
The FAP Interactome
Tissue repair depends on communication among neighboring cell types. Signals exchanged within the skeletal-muscle niche can shape how FAPs, immune cells, and muscle stem cells (satellite cells) respond to injury and support tissue homeostasis.
We map signals exchanged between FAPs and neighboring immune cells, satellite cells, and other niche populations. This work builds a molecular picture of stromal-cell communication in skeletal-muscle homeostasis and regeneration.
Morphometric Phenotyping
Cell shape and subcellular organization provide measurable features of cellular state. Quantitative morphometrics paired with machine learning can help reveal patterns that distinguish cell states.
In published work, we used nuclear morphometrics and machine learning to identify dynamic senescence-associated states across age. We plan to further examine organelle topology to distinguish stromal-cell states associated with different regenerative properties.
Stromal-Cell Heterogeneity
Mesenchymal stromal cells are not a uniform population. Their lineage, differentiation potential, and mitochondrial bioenergetic state may vary with age and influence how they contribute to muscle maintenance and repair.
Across complementary studies, we use genetic lineage tracing to follow mesenchymal progenitor populations during tissue maintenance, injury, and aging. We aim to determine how these populations contribute to regeneration and pathological remodeling, and which mechanisms regulate their fate.
