Small Business: Musculoskeletal, Skin and Oral Sciences – MSOS (10)

Topics

• Tissue-engineering and bioengineering aspects of orthopedic research; physiological and pathophysiological aspects of bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament and their repair or replacement; treatment modalities for joint and bone diseases, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, bone fracture, and osteopenia.
• Tissue-engineering and bioengineering aspects of muscle for muscle repair or replacement; treatment of muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, myotonia, myopathy, muscle weakness, muscle loss, and sarcopenia.
• Development of methods for diagnosis or treatment of oral and dental diseases, such as periodontal diseases and caries; dental materials and implants; treatment modalities for injuries to the salivary gland and oral mucosa.
• Connective tissue, skin, inflammatory and degenerative conditions of the joints, and systemic rheumatic diseases including assessment and treatment of diseases, disorders or injuries; skin wound healing and skin substitutes; stem-cell based therapies for skin diseases; UV and photobiology of the skin; prevention and treatment of skin diseases.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests between Small Business: Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Sciences – MSOS (11) in the area of musculoskeletal sciences. Applications that involve drug delivery, biomaterials and tissue engineering for treatment of musculoskeletal disorders are reviewed in MSOS (10). Applications that involve treatment strategies for musculoskeletal disorders, including rehabilitation strategies, orthopedic procedures, implants, assistive technologies, and prosthetic devices are reviewed in MSOS (11).

There are shared interests with Small Business: Biomaterials, Delivery, and Nanotechnology – BBBT (10) in the areas of biomaterials, drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering. Applications focusing on the design and development of biomaterials, scaffolds and drug delivery systems are reviewed in BBBT (10). Applications focusing on using such biomaterials and tissue scaffolds for treatment of musculoskeletal, oral and dental tissue, and healing of chronic and diabetic skin wounds are reviewed in MSOS (10). 

There are shared interests with Small Business: Applied Immunology and Vaccine Development – DCAI (10) in the assessment and treatment of auto-immune and immune-mediated skeletal muscle, rheumatic and skin diseases. Applications that focus on the immunological aspects of these diseases, including development of immunotherapies, are reviewed in DCAI (10). Applications that focus on the use of immunological therapies to treat immune-mediated diseases that affect the skin, muscle, bone, and joints are reviewed in MSOS (10).

There are shared interests with Imaging, Surgery, and Bioengineering (ISB) Review Branch small business SEPs in the areas of imaging, device and software development, and wound healing. Applications focusing on the design and development of imaging systems, surgical wound healing, software or devices for surgical procedures are reviewed in an appropriate ISB small business SEP. Applications that focus on using such technologies for diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal, oral, dental, and skin diseases and healing of skin and chronic wounds are reviewed in MSOS (10).

There are shared interests with Molecular and Cellular Sciences and Technologies (MCST) Review Branch small business SEPs in the areas of computational modeling, diagnostic assays and image processing methods. Applications focusing on the development of software, image processing methods, and general diagnostic assays are reviewed in an appropriate MCST small business SEP. Applications that focus on using such software and assays for diagnosis of musculoskeletal, skin, oral and dental disorders are reviewed in MSOS (10).