Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2012

Mentor:                       Christopher T. Chen (mentor) and Michael Bolesta (co-mentor)
Department:               Orthopaedic Surgery
Room number:           H7-102
Mail Code:                 8870  
Phone number:          214-648-2276
E-mail:                        Chris.Chen@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title:                Estrogen deficiency, bisphosphonates & osteoporosis in lumbar spine

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):      

Animal subjects IACUC approved project number (where applicable): 2012-0006

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Animal-based research

Brief Description of Project:
Menopause is the leading cause for osteoporosis among woman over 50-year-old. Vertebral compression fracture is the one of the most common complications of osteoporosis with more than 700,000 new vertebral compression fractures each year in the United States alone and estimated annual costs close to $1.5 billion. Bisphosphonates are commonly used in recent years as a treatment to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal patients. Several recent studies however show that a long-term use of bisphosphonate contributes to the impaired healing in vertebrate and femur once injured. One of main difficulties in studying the healing of vertebrates is lack of an animal model that reproduces the bipedal joint loading, which is critical for bone remodeling.  Several recent studies showed that surgically induced bipedalism in rats is an effective model of upright posture. These studies also showed that rats after being made bipedal develop lumbar spine as well as spinal diseases similar to those that are unique to humans.  Using this bipedal rat model, we propose to study the role of estrogen deficiency in osteoporotic lumbar spine and whether the treatment of bisphosphonate will increase bone mineral density but not maintain the compressive Young’s modulus and failure stiffness in lumbar spine.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Presentations: (medical student name is in bold)

• Beutel B, Bengtsson L; Kristensson K, Chang A, Warren RF, Black RA, Chen CT, (2009) TIMP-3 inhibits proteoglycan loss and collagen cleavage induced by IL-1 and injury. Proc. 55th Ortho Res Soc, Las Vegas NV. p.1054.
• Eisner E, Shelton JM, McClure S, Davis CG, Hotchkiss RS, Chen CT, Borrelli J. (2011) Elimination of Mitochondria Related Bim/Bid Proteins Reduces Chondrocyte Apoptosis after Mechanical Injury. Proc. 57th Ortho Res Soc, Long Beach, CA. p.2164
• Patel S, Phelps JR, Au BK, Oz O, Banerjee R, Borreli J, Chen CT (2012) “Acceleration of Fracture Healing in Mouse with Deficiency of G-Protein Coupled Estrogen Receptor 1” 50th UT Southwestern Medical Student Research Forum, Dallas TX (*One of Finalists for Podium Presentation)
• Maduka J, Kilianski J , Urity V, Chen CT (2012) “Role of NF-κB and MAPK in IL-1β induced Proteoglycan Degradation in Articular Cartilage,” 50th UT Southwestern Medical Student Research Forum, Dallas TX
• Chen CT, Neeley SK, Shindle MK, Delos D, Warren RF (2012) “Downregulation of microRNAs in Rotator Cuff and Synovium with a Full-thickness Tear” Proc. 58th Ortho Res Soc, San Francisco, CA. p.165, 2012
• Maduka J, Kilianski J , Urity V, Chen CT (2012) “Role of NF-κB and MAPK in IL-1β induced Proteoglycan Degradation in Articular Cartilage” Proc. 58th Ortho Res Soc, San Francisco, CA. p.706, 2012

Publications: (medical student name is in bold)

• Strauss E., Hidaka C., Chen C.T., Goodrich L., Nixon A. (2006) Biochemical and biomechanical properties of lesion and peri-lesion tissue after cartilage repair with genetically modified chondrocytes in an equine model. Am. J. Sport Medicine 2006; 33:1647-53.
• Ranawat A.S., Vidal A.F., Chen C.T., Zelken J., Turner A.S., and Williams R.J. (2008) The material properties of fresh cold-stored allografts used for the reconstruction of osteochondral defects after one year in vivo. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 466(8):1826-36.
• Gulotta L., Rudzki J.R., Kovacevic D., Milentijevic D., Chen C.T.; Williams R. (2009) Chondrocyte Death and Cartilage Degradation Following Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation Surgery in a Rabbit Model.  Am J Sports Med 2009; 37(7):1324-33
• Shindle M.; Chen C.T., Robertson C., DiTullio A.E.; Clinton C.M., Paulus M.C..; Cordasco F.A., Rodeo S.A., Warren RF (2011) Full-thickness supraspinatus tears are associated with more synovial inflammation and tissue degeneration than partial thickness tears. J Elbow & Shoulder. 2011: 917-27.