Cellular injury occurs when cells are subjected to stress, such as occurs in direct traumatic insult, exposure to environmental stress (toxin exposure) or poor blood supply and reperfusion (ischaemia-reperfusion injury).
The repair response to the injury can either restore, or lead to permanent change in the organ structure and function. Scar formation during repair can have significant consequences for health depending on the organs involved (such as that which occurs in the brain, heart, kidney, liver and lung).
The study of fundamental cellular and organ responses to different injury mechanisms and the strategies to restore function has potential application to many diseases. SBMS researchers are studying some fundamental mechanisms of cells to stress, the consequences of repair responses and how these may be influenced.
