PhD defence: Mathias Flensted Poulsen
New approaches to the management of muscle and bone loss
Info about event
Time
Location
Lille Anatomisk Auditorium, 1231-424, Aarhus University
On Thursday 5 November 2026 at 10:00, Mathias Flensted Poulsen defends his PhD dissertation entitled “Novel approaches to activin pathway neutralization and glucocorticoid assessment in management of muscle and bone loss”.
Loss of muscle and bone occurs naturally with age but can be accelerated by inactivity, chronic disease and certain medications, increasing the risk of reduced mobility, falls and fractures. A new PhD project from Aarhus University investigates a new treatment to limit the loss of muscle and bone tissue, alongside a method for measuring the activity of cortisol and related steroid molecules, which can weaken muscle and bone when exposure is excessive.
One part of the project investigated a new ligand-trapping treatment designed to neutralize activin A, myostatin and GDF11, proteins that normally act to limit muscle growth and bone formation. In mice with a paretic hindlimb, the treatment showed a muscle-building effect and protected against the loss of bone mass, strength and structure in the affected limb. Cell studies also showed crosstalk between the activin pathway and other pathways important for bone formation. Ligand trapping preserved these pathways, while directly blocking activin receptors with an antibody affected those pathways. The findings support ligand neutralization as a promising strategy for preserving and building muscle and bone.
The project also developed and validated a cell-based test that measures the activity of cortisol and related steroid medications in blood. The test can measure the freely circulating fraction that is available to act on the body. This may provide a more direct way of assessing cortisol activity and exposure to related steroid medications, with potential future applications in evaluating patients with abnormal cortisol levels and in monitoring and adjusting steroid treatment.
The summary is written by the PhD student.
The defence is public and takes place in Lille Anatomisk Auditorium, 1231-424, Aarhus University. Please see the press release for more information.
Contact
PhD student Mathias Flensted Poulsen
Mail: mfp@biomed.au.dk
Phone: +45 20730350