The University of Georgia’s Luke Mortensen holds up an X-ray image showing an infant’s hand, but without bones. The next image is a child’s chest, revealing no ribs. The images represent what parents might see if they have a child suffering from hypophosphatasia. Mortensen, an assistant professor in the Regenerative Bioscience Center, will research therapies to grow these missing bones.
“There are certain enzyme therapies close to being commercialized that look very promising, and I think that is really great. However, I do think cell therapy has the potential to be a longer-term solution,” said Mortensen, who holds a joint appointment in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering.
