Intro:

Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten, not only affects the gastrointestinal system but also has far-reaching implications for skeletal health. Individuals with celiac disease frequently experience malabsorption of essential nutrients, notably calcium and vitamin D, crucial for maintaining bone density and strength. Consequently, this chronic deficiency predisposes them to osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened and brittle bones, escalating the risk of fractures and diminished quality of life. Addressing osteoporosis as a comorbidity of celiac disease necessitates a multifaceted approach, encompassing both the management of celiac disease itself and targeted interventions to safeguard bone health. As such, the development of effective treatments tailored to this unique intersection of conditions becomes not only a medical imperative but also a beacon of hope for enhancing the well-being of those navigating the complex landscape of osteoporosis, and its associated comorbidities.

Skills I learned/developed:

☑️ Effective Research

☑️ Time Management

☑️ Collaborating/working with teams

☑️ Iteration of Design

☑️ Presentation/ pitching skills

☑️ Journal article reviews

Process:

• We were assigned to find an area in osteoporosis disease that was in need of a novel solution
• We decided to set aside a couple of weeks to truly pin down our idea and do proper research, as we were searching I found a very interesting article

LIPUS DEVICE, an ultrasound device with possible treatment of osteoporosis

• After I found this journal article, I discussed it with my team, and we decided that this was the direction we want to head in. And so with that being said we did extra research about ultrasound devices and their relationship with osteoporosis

OsteoLift

• Turns out, The way that ultrasound devices can perhaps treat osteoporosis is through cellular mechanotransduction

The different types of cellular mechanotransduction

• Though Mechanotransduction, certain cellular channels(Piezo 1) can be activated that help battle osteoporosis by increasing bone formation through increased YAP activity
• Osteolift uses LIPUS, which stands for low intensity pulsed ultrasounds, this insures that it is safe for humans to use, LIPUS is also the cheapest possible solution for Osteoporosis

Average cost of treatment of LIPUS vs Surgery (most common current treatement)