FWF Grant for Wouter Masselink

Mechanical principles of vertebrae regeneration

In the newly funded project, Wouter Masselink will investigate the mechanical principles involved in the regeneration of vertebrae. The vertebral column is a segmented structure crucial for supporting the vertebrate body and for allowing the body to move. In the axolotl, a salamander species with remarkable abilities to regenerate, the vertebral column can regenerate after localized injuries or when the axolotl loses its tail. This regenerative capacity makes the axolotl an ideal model for investigating both how vertebrae regenerate after injury and for understanding the formation and patterning of vertebrae. 

Masselink will focus on the mechanical forces involved in vertebrae regeneration. The project investigates the hypothesis that mechanical forces and, in particular, the way in which cells sense and respond to these mechanical forces are central to the formation of vertebrae. Therefore, Masselink will also study the material properties of vertebrae and assess how changes to stiffness sensing or to the material properties affect the regeneration of the vertebral column. 

“This research project holds significant implications for our understanding of the evolution of body plans and the mechanisms of regeneration”, says Masselink. “The findings could potentially contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for spine degeneration and injuries.”

Wouter Masselink earned his PhD at Monash University, Australia, where he provided a cellular explanation for how fins changed to limbs when fish moved to land. In 2015, Masselink joined the group of Elly Tanaka at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Germany, relocating to the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology (IMP) at the Vienna BioCenter in 2017. Since 2024, Masselink is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Elly Tanaka at IMBA. He is also a visiting researcher at the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.