Advancing Research
by funding Grant Programs and Fellowships
Driving Innovation
by guiding studies such as the FAST Initiative, the SuperAgers Initiative, and the TAME Trial
Furthering the Field
by supporting the infrastructure of three NIA Initiatives and leading the Amplifying Geroscience Initiative.
Top Breakthroughs driven by AFAR Experts
Delaying Disease by Targeting Aging
Saving Costs by Extending Healthspan
What are the Hallmarks of Aging?
How and Why Do We Age?
What is Geroscience?
What is the Longevity Dividend?
What's Next in aging research?
Tendons are an integral part of our everyday movements, transmitting the force produced by the muscle to the bone. As we age, our tendons become more prone to degenerative conditions and injury, and their healing capacity diminishes. Tendon and ligament injuries are thus very common in an aging population, affecting the quality of life and mobility of millions of people in the United States each year (and incurring significant healthcare costs). But with limited knowledge of the cellular changes that occur as a tendon ages, it is difficult to design therapies to address age-related decline.
Dr. Galloway and her group are studying the cellular aspects of tendon aging in a transgenic mouse model. The group’s goal is to learn key differences in the activities of young, adult, and aged tendon cells in normal and injured conditions.
Those discoveries will allow Dr. Galloway and her group to better understand the mechanisms of aging in tendon tissues—namely, why aged tendons decline in their ability to cope with the stress of daily activities and to heal from acute injuries. Dr. Galloway hopes their work will help make an impact on age-related tendon injuries and degeneration.
