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John Callaci, PhD.

Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation

Research Interests

Effects of Binge Alcohol Exposure on Skeletal Biology.

My research is focused on the biochemical, biomechanical and molecular effects of alcohol on the skeleton. Previous studies performed in my laboratory using a binge model of alcohol consumption, identified that bone resorptive activity increases after acute binge alcohol exposure, which is at least partially responsible for bone loss observed after binge alcohol treatment. Alcohol-induced bone loss can be effectively blocked with anti-resorptive drugs, suggesting a possible therapeutic response to alcoholic osteopenia. We have also shown that binge alcohol exposure has an additive effect on bone loss caused by other insults to the skeleton such as ovariectomy-induced estrogen depletion. Research efforts identifying biomarkers of early alcohol-mediated bone damage in adolescent and adult ovariecotomized rodents using gene expression array technology allowed us to identify novel mechanisms underlying bone damage caused by alcohol and early markers of bone loss that can be used to identify patients at risk for osteoporosis years prior to conventional diagnostics. Our current research focuses on the mechanisms responsible for fracture non-union related to alcohol abuse. We have identified that alcohol deregulates key signaling pathways that control the fracture healing process. We are using this information to develop therapeutic approaches to treat patients with non healing fractures relayed to alcohol abuse and other causes such as diabetes.

Publications/Research Listings

  • Eby, JM; Sharieh, F; Azevedo, J; Callaci, JJ Episodic alcohol exposure attenuates mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenic differentiation during bone fracture callus formation. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
  • Eby, JM; Sharieh, F; Callaci, JJ Impact of Alcohol on Bone Health, Homeostasis and Fracture repair. Current pathobiology reports ; 8 3
  • Sharieh, F Eby, JM; Roper, PM; Callaci, JJ Ethanol Inhibits Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteochondral Lineage Differentiation Due in Part to an Activation of Forkhead Box Protein O-Specific Signaling. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research ; 44 6
  • Kapania, EM; Reif, TJ; Tsumura, A Eby, JM; Callaci, JJ Alcohol-induced Wnt signaling inhibition during bone fracture healing is normalized by intermittent parathyroid hormone treatment. ANIMAL MODELS AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE ; 3 2
  • Kapania EM, Reif TJ, Tsumura A
  • Eby JM, Callaci JJ Alcohol-induced Wnt signaling inhibition during bone fracture healing is normalized by intermittent parathyroid hormone treatment ANIMAL MODELS AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE ; 3 2 200-207
  • Sharieh F, Eby JM, Roper PM, Callaci JJ Ethanol Inhibits Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteochondral Lineage Differentiation Due in Part to an Activation of Forkhead Box Protein O-Specific Signaling Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research ; 44 6 1204-1213
  • Sonn, KA; Wallace, SJ; Yuan, FNF; Schneider, AD; Hsu, EL; Havey, RM; Patwardhan, AG; Callaci, JJ The Effect of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Bone Formation in a Rat Spinal Arthrodesis Model. Spine ; 44 14
  • Sonn KA, Wallace SJ, Yuan FNF, Schneider AD, Hsu EL, Havey RM, Patwardhan AG, Callaci JJ The Effect of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Bone Formation in a Rat Spinal Arthrodesis Model Spine ; 44 14 E815-E822
  • Bratton A, Eisenberg J, Vuchkovska A, Roper P, Callaci JJ Effects of Episodic Alcohol Exposure on BMP2 Signaling During Tibia Fracture Healing Journal of orthopaedic trauma ; 32 6 288-295
  • Natoli RM, Yu H, Meislin MC, Abbasnia P, Roper P, Vuchkovska A, Xiao X, Stock SR, Callaci JJ Alcohol exposure decreases osteopontin expression during fracture healing and osteopontin-mediated mesenchymal stem cell migration in vitro Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research ; 13 1 101
  • Bratton, A; Eisenberg, J; Vuchkovska, A; Roper, P; Callaci, JJ Effects of Episodic Alcohol Exposure on BMP2 Signaling During Tibia Fracture Healing. Journal of orthopaedic trauma ; 32 6
  • Natoli, RM; Yu, H; Meislin, MC; Abbasnia, P; Roper, P; Vuchkovska, A; Xiao, X; Stock, SR; Callaci, JJ Alcohol exposure decreases osteopontin expression during fracture healing and osteopontin-mediated mesenchymal stem cell migration in vitro. Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research ; 13 1
  • Hoscheit, Matthew; Conner, Grant; Roemer, James; Vuckovska, Aleksanhdra; Abbasnia, Pegah; Vana, Paul; Shankar, Ravi; Kennedy, Richard; Callaci, John Burn Injury Has Skeletal Site-Specific Effects on Bone Integrity and Markers of Bone Remodeling. Journal of Burn Care & Research ; 37 6
  • Pinzur, Michael S.; Beck, Jennifer; Himes, Ryan; Callaci, John Distal Tibiofibular. Bone-Bridging in Transtibial Amputation. Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, American Volume ; 90 12
  • Pinzur MS; Beck J; Himes R; Callaci J; Pinzur, Michael S; Beck, Jennifer; Himes, Ryan; Callaci, John Distal tibiofibular bone-bridging in transtibial amputation. Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, American Volume ; 90 12