MTZ®-MPI-Award 2025 to Vishal Mohanakrishnan
On November 14, 2025, the MTZ®foundation will honor Vishal Mohanakrishnan. He has published a groundbreaking paper in the Department of Ralf H. Adams at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Molecular Biomedicine, in which he describes his discovery of a previously unknown type of blood vessel — Type R capillaries — that play a vital role in bone remodelling and maintenance throughout life. Understanding how these specialized vessels support bone formation and repair provides new insights into bone health and aging.
Since 2009, the MTZ®foundation annually honours young scientists at the MPI for Molecular Biomedicine with the MTZ®-MPI Award, which is endowed with 2,500 euros. In this way, the founding couple Monika and Thomas Zimmermann would like to support young people on their way into research.
Type R Capillaries – Hidden Architects of Bone Remodelling
Throughout our lives, bones continuously remodel to maintain strength, repair injuries, and adapt to physical demands. This process relies on a delicate balance between two main cell types: osteoblasts, which build new bone, and osteoclasts, which break down old tissue. Yet, one key question has long remained unanswered: how do these cells operate efficiently in the low-oxygen environment inside our bones?
In his doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Vishal Mohanakrishnan uncovered a previously unknown type of blood vessel – the Type R capillary – that plays a pivotal role in this process. These specialized vessels form a third, distinct vascular subtype alongside the already known Type H and Type L capillaries. Located in the spongy trabecular bone, Type R capillaries are not passive conduits for blood flow; they actively interact with osteoblasts and osteoclasts to coordinate bone formation and resorption.
“Type R capillaries are unique vascular structures that emerge in adulthood and are crucial for maintaining bone health during aging,” explains Mohanakrishnan. His findings show that these vessels supply oxygen and signaling molecules to the cells that remodel bone, ensuring a continuous renewal of bone tissue throughout life.
As bones age, the number of Type R capillaries declines, potentially contributing to the loss of bone mass and the increased fragility seen in elderly individuals. Remarkably, Mohanakrishnan and colleagues also discovered that new Type R vessels can develop in compact bone during aging, suggesting that the body attempts to counteract bone deterioration by forming new vascular networks.
These discoveries, published in Nature Cell Biology, open new perspectives for understanding how the bone vasculature supports skeletal integrity and may pave the way for future therapies targeting vascular health in osteoporosis and bone regeneration.
About Vishal Mohanakrishnan
Vishal Mohanakrishnan (31) received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biotechnology from SRM University (now SRM Institute of Science and Technology) in Chennai. During his studies, he worked as a research fellow in Tissue Engineering and Cancer Research, where his passion for bone biology developed and led to several publications.
In June 2017, he began his PhD work in the laboratory of Prof. Ralf H. Adams at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine and successfully defended his thesis with summa cum laude in 2025. During his time at the institute, he authored and co-authored five publications in Nature Cell Biology, Nature, Nature Communications and eLife.
Following his PhD, Vishal was awarded an early-career EMBO postdoctoral fellowship and will continue his scientific career in the group of Prof. Taija Mäkinen at the University of Helsinki.