Beata Lecka-Czernik Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Geriatrics at UAMS. Dr. Lecka-Czernik’s research focuses on changes that occur during aging in the potential of bone marrow stem cells to differentiate toward bone forming cells and how these changes contribute the age-related bone loss. Dr. Lecka-Czernik has demonstrated that during aging, bone marrow stem cells are more likely to differentiate toward adipocytes, increasing the fat content in bone, instead of forming osteoblasts which contribute to bone formation.

She has also characterized the essential role of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor - gamma (PPAR-gamma) in activating the bone marrow adipocyte gene program and suppressing osteoblast gene expression in aged bone marrow cells. Her work is particularly exciting because it yields a better understanding of stem cell biology during aging and may contribute to the development of pharmacological intervention that would preserve the osteoblastic potential of these cells by preventing their ‘escape’ toward the adipocyte phenotype.

Selected Publications:

Lecka-Czernik, B., Gubrij, I., Moerman, E.A., Kajkenova, O., Lipschitz, D.A., Manolagas, S.C. and Jilka, R.L. Inhibition of Osf2/Cbfa1 expression and terminal osteoblast differentiation by PPAR gamma2. J. Cell. Biochem., 1999. 74:357-371.

Abe, E., Yamamoto, M., Taguchi, Y., Lecka-Czernik, B., Economides, A.N., Stahl, N., Jilka, R.L. and Manolagas, S.C. Essential requirement of BMPs-2/4 for postnatal osteoblast and osteoclast formation in the murine bone marrow: Antagonism by noggin. J. Bone Miner Res, 2000. 15:663-673, 2000.

Taylor-Jones, J.M., McGehee, R.E., Rando, T.A., Lecka-Czernik, B., Lipschitz, D.A., and Peterson, C.A. Activation of adipogenic program in adult myoblasts with age. Mech Aging Dev, 2002. 123:649-661.

Lecka-Czernik, B., Moerman, E.J., Grant, D.F., Lehmann, J., Manolagas, S.C., Jilka, R.L. Divergent effects of selective PPARg2 ligands on a dipocyte versus osteoblast differentiation. Endocrinology, 2002. 143:2376-2384.

Rzonca SO, Suva LJ, Gaddy D, Montague DM, Lecka-Czernik B. Bone is a target for the anti-diabetic compound Rosiglitazone. Endocrinology 145:401-406, 2004.

Moerman, EJ, Teng K, Rzonca SO, Lecka-Czernik, B. Aging activates adipogenic and suppresses osteogenic program in mesenchymal marrow stroma/stem cells; A role of PPAR-g2 transcription factor and TGF-b/BMP signaling pathways. Aging Cell (in press).