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Fayez F. Safadi, PhD

Associate Professor , Anatomy and Cell Biology

Associate Chairperson for Research

Director of Molecular Histology Core Facility

Telephone:  215-707-5655

Fax:  215-707-2966

Email: fsafadi@temple.edu

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

University of Southampton, UK
B.S., Biology, Physiology and Nutrition

 

University of Southampton, UK
Ph.D., Cancer Research, Endocrinology, 1996
(Advisor: Margaret J. Peddie)

 

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Endocrinology/Genetics
(Mentors: John J. Haddad, M.D., and Nancy E. Cooke, M.D.)

 

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Bone loss is a major health care problem in the United States and worldwide. Risk factors associated with osteoporosis, include estrogen-deficiency (post-menopuasal) and aging. During bone development and its maintenance, the antagonistic processes of bone formation and resorption are regulated by various systemic and local factors (hormones, growth factors, cytokines, etc). It is evident that bone formation during skeletal modeling/remodeling and fracture repair requires stringent control of osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Regulation of these biological processes involves sequential expression of cell growth and tissue specific genes in response to different regulatory signals.

Dr Safadi's research laboratory focuses on the regulation of bone cell development and function, with specific emphasis on growth factors that can enhance osteogenesis. We are interested in various metabolic bone diseases such as age/estrogen-induced osteopenia, osteopetrosis and cartilage-associated diseases (rheumatoid arthritis). The goal of our research is understand the pathological mechanisms underlying various bone diseases in order to develop strategies for the therapeutic management of such diseases. We identified a novel growth factor (named Osteoactivin) that has anabolic effects on bone. If we understand the mechanisms responsible for this effect, then this factor could be used as potential therapeutic agent to stimulate bone formation in diseases associated with osteopenia and increased risk of fracture.

Dr Safadi's laboratory is also working on the effects of various systemic and locally-produced factors (e.g. vitamin D binding protein, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, transcription factors; c-fos and c-src) on bone formation and resorption, two antagonistic processes that must be coordinately regulated for normal modeling/remodeling to occur. Any imbalance in these regulatory processes results in pathological bone loss or accumulation. Another collaborative research interest in our laboratory utilizes an in vivo model for cumulative trauma disorder that focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with tendonitis and inflammation-induced bone loss.

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Recent Medically Related Publications, Obtained from PubMed (Click on PubMed ID to view abstract)

19006175. Zhu S, Barbe MF, Liu C, Hadjiargyrou M, Popoff SN, Rani S, Safadi FF, Litvin J, Periostin-like-factor in osteogenesis. J Cell Physiol 218:3(584-92)2009 Mar

18555216. Abdelmagid SM, Barbe MF, Rico MC, Salihoglu S, Arango-Hisijara I, Selim AH, Anderson MG, Owen TA, Popoff SN, Safadi FF, Osteoactivin, an anabolic factor that regulates osteoblast differentiation and function. Exp Cell Res 314:13(2334-51)2008 Aug 1

18464247. Barbe MF, Elliott MB, Abdelmagid SM, Amin M, Popoff SN, Safadi FF, Barr AE, Serum and tissue cytokines and chemokines increase with repetitive upper extremity tasks. J Orthop Res 26:10(1320-6)2008 Oct

18314002. Arnott JA, Zhang X, Sanjay A, Owen TA, Smock SL, Rehman S, DeLong WG, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, Molecular requirements for induction of CTGF expression by TGF-beta1 in primary osteoblasts. Bone 42:5(871-85)2008 May

17665454. Sheibanie AF, Khayrullina T, Safadi FF, Ganea D, Prostaglandin E2 exacerbates collagen-induced arthritis in mice through the inflammatory interleukin-23/interleukin-17 axis. Arthritis Rheum 56:8(2608-19)2007 Aug

17219411. Rico MC, Castaneda JL, Manns JM, Uknis AB, Sainz IM, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, Dela Cadena RA, Amelioration of inflammation, angiogenesis and CTGF expression in an arthritis model by a TSP1-derived peptide treatment. J Cell Physiol 211:2(504-12)2007 May

17133352. Arnott JA, Nuglozeh E, Rico MC, Arango-Hisijara I, Odgren PR, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is a downstream mediator for TGF-beta1-induced extracellular matrix production in osteoblasts. J Cell Physiol 210:3(843-52)2007 Mar

17111364. Song JJ, Aswad R, Kanaan RA, Rico MC, Owen TA, Barbe MF, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) acts as a downstream mediator of TGF-beta1 to induce mesenchymal cell condensation. J Cell Physiol 210:2(398-410)2007 Feb

17034042. Abdelmagid SM, Barbe MF, Arango-Hisijara I, Owen TA, Popoff SN, Safadi FF, Osteoactivin acts as downstream mediator of BMP-2 effects on osteoblast function. J Cell Physiol 210:1(26-37)2007 Jan

16869004. Manns JM, Uknis AB, Rico MC, Agelan A, Castaneda J, Arango I, Barbe MF, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, DeLa Cadena RA, A peptide from thrombospondin 1 modulates experimental erosive arthritis by regulating connective tissue growth factor. Arthritis Rheum 54:8(2415-22)2006 Aug

16104961. Pryor ME, Polimeni G, Koo KT, Hartman MJ, Gross H, April M, Safadi FF, Wikesjö UM, Analysis of rat calvaria defects implanted with a platelet-rich plasma preparation: histologic and histometric observations. J Clin Periodontol 32:9(966-72)2005 Sep

15258926. Litvin J, Selim AH, Montgomery MO, Lehmann K, Rico MC, Devlin H, Bednarik DP, Safadi FF, Expression and function of periostin-isoforms in bone. J Cell Biochem 92:5(1044-61)2004 Aug 1

14696973. Selim AA, Abdelmagid SM, Kanaan RA, Smock SL, Owen TA, Popoff SN, Safadi FF, Anti-osteoactivin antibody inhibits osteoblast differentiation and function in vitro. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr 13:2-4(265-75)2003

14606516. Barr AE, Safadi FF, Gorzelany I, Amin M, Popoff SN, Barbe MF, Repetitive, negligible force reaching in rats induces pathological overloading of upper extremity bones. J Bone Miner Res 18:11(2023-32)2003 Nov

12908929. Clark BD, Barr AE, Safadi FF, Beitman L, Al-Shatti T, Amin M, Gaughan JP, Barbe MF, Median nerve trauma in a rat model of work-related musculoskeletal disorder. J Neurotrauma 20:7(681-95)2003 Jul

12767040. Safadi FF, Xu J, Smock SL, Kanaan RA, Selim AH, Odgren PR, Marks SC Jr, Owen TA, Popoff SN, Expression of connective tissue growth factor in bone: its role in osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in vitro and bone formation in vivo. J Cell Physiol 196:1(51-62)2003 Jul

12507595. Barbe MF, Barr AE, Gorzelany I, Amin M, Gaughan JP, Safadi FF, Chronic repetitive reaching and grasping results in decreased motor performance and widespread tissue responses in a rat model of MSD. J Orthop Res 21:1(167-76)2003 Jan

11746512. Safadi FF, Xu J, Smock SL, Rico MC, Owen TA, Popoff SN, Cloning and characterization of osteoactivin, a novel cDNA expressed in osteoblasts. J Cell Biochem 84:1(12-26)2001

10855695. Safadi FF, Dissanayake IR, Goodman GG, Jago RA, Baker AE, Bowman AR, Sass DA, Popoff SN, Epstein S, Influence of estrogen deficiency and replacement on T-cell populations in rat lymphoid tissues and organs. Endocrine 12:1(81-8)2000 Feb

10786828. Safadi FF, Hermey DC, Popoff SN, Seifert MF, Skeletal resistance to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in osteopetrotic rats. Endocrine 11:3(309-19)1999 Dec

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University of Southampton , College of Science

Physiology, 1992 - 1996

Histology/Cell Biology, 1993 - 1996

Endocrinology, 1994 - 1995

Pharmacology, 1995 - 1996

Temple University, School of Dentistry

Histology (Lectures& Labs), 1998 - 2000 

Temple University Science Education Histology

Partnership Award (SEPA) Program, 1998 - 2000 

Temple University, School of Medicine

Histology (Lectures& Labs) 1998 - present

Temple University, School of Medicine

Research Seminars in Anatomy & Cell Biology,  1998 - present

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Post-Doctoral Fellows and Other Scientists Supervised

Edem Nuglozeh, Ph.D. (Associate Scientist),  2002 - present

 

Mario Rico, M.D. (Post-Doctoral Fellow), 2000 - present

 

Israel Arango, M.D. (Post-Doctoral Fellow), 2003 - present

 

Ahmed Elokda, M.D., (Post-Doctoral Fellow) 2002

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Fox-Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA

 

Marina D’ Angel, Ph.D. (Associate Scientist),  2000 - 2001

Assistant Professor in Anatomy and Cell Biology

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), Philadelphia, PA

 

Hwyda Arafat M.D., Ph.D., (Post-Doctoral Fellow),  1998 - 1999

Associate Scientist in Medicine

Thomas Jefferson Medical School, Philadelphia, PA

 

Graduate Students Supervised (as Primary Advisor)

Abdul-Hafez Selim, M.D. 2000 - present

Post-Doc Fellow, with Dr. Henry Kronenberg

Massachusetts General Hospital

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

 

Reem Kanaan, B.Sc. 1999 - present

Post-Doc Fellow, with Drs. Eileen Shore and Fredrick Kaplan

Dept. Orthopedic, University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

 

Samir Abdelmajeed, M.D.  2001 - present

 

Ph.D., Graduate Students Supervised (as co-Advisor)

John Arnott, B.S. (Ph.D. Candidate), 2002 - present

 

Jason Song B.S. (M.D., Ph.D. Candidate,) 2003 - present

 

M.S.., Graduate Students Supervised (as co-Advisor)

Julian Castaneda 2003 - present

 

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