NIH SciBites: Helping Cells Build Strong Bones

Our bones are hard and strong because of a substance they contain called collagen, so when they have too little or poorly formed collagen, they break very easily. Laura Gorrell, a graduate student in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, studies the cells that make collagen and build bone. Her research could eventually help lead to new medicines that strengthen the bones of the elderly and people with diseases that weaken their bones.