Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Julie Glowacki, PhD 

Director, Skeletal Biology Research Laboratory
   Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Co-Chair, Musculoskeletal Research Center 
   Brigham and Women's Hospital Biomedical Research Institute

Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
   Harvard Medical School

Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
   Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Dr. Julie Glowacki is the Director of the Skeletal Biology Laboratory, which has the goal to translate new basic and clinical research discoveries into patient care in the areas of traumatic, and degenerative bone and joint disorders.  Dr. Glowacki leads two major programs of research: 1) Skeletal Aging and 2) Skeletal Repair and Regeneration. Both programs include clinical, basic, and translational studies.

In the program on Skeletal Aging, recent clinical achievements concern the discovery that half of a series of patients with hip fracture were vitamin D-deficient, the implementation of new clinical pathways that address vitamin D and calcium status in orthopedic patients, evidence that osteoporosis occurs in osteoarthritic postmenopausal women, and identification of the direct relationship between bone density and serum levels of the adrenal steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone. Basic research concerns the effects of age on decreased osteoblast potential of human marrow and increased capacity of marrow to support development of bone-resorbing osteoclasts.  We are identifying the mechanisms of skeletal aging and testing ways to prevent and treat degeneration of bone and cartilage.  Translational studies deal with innovative approaches for rejuvenation of the aging skeleton.

The program on Skeletal Repair and Regeneration rests on 5 platform technologies, based on discoveries and developments in stem cell research and in tissue engineering. First, a 3-dimensional osteoinductive device changes normal human skin fibroblasts into chondrocytes and enables analysis of molecular mechanisms of post-natal chondrogenesis. Second, porous 3D collagen sponges support in vitro histogenesis by many cell types, including marrow, meniscus, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts. Third, a medium perfusion system optimizes histogenesis of many tissues in 3D culture. Fourth, a novel pressure apparatus further enhances histogenesis. Those 4 technologies support studies on skeletal histogenesis and on engineering of complex growing joints. Finally, a rodent model of bone distraction shows impaired osteogenesis in animals with compromised vascularity.

Ongoing projects include the following:

1. Mechanisms of human skeletal aging: from bedside to bench to bedside.
2. Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and other osteotropic agents on osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in human marrow.
3. Use of an innovative 3D device to induce fibroblasts to differentiate to bone and cartilage cells and to generate bone and cartilage tissue for repair.
4. In vivo fate of in vitro engineered cartilage, bone, menisci, and an engineered biological joint.

Honors and Awards

Top 100 Innovators of 1981, Technology Magazine
Boston University Collegium of Distinguished Alumni/ae
Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society
Glenn Foundation Endocrinology and Aging Award for Endocrine Society Abstract
George W. Hyatt Memorial Award, The American Association of Tissue Banks
Constantine S. Anast Memorial Lectureship
Shirley Hohl Award, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research      

Other Activities

Selected References

1. Rosen C, Glowacki J, Bilzekian JP (eds) The Aging Skeleton, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1999.
2. Mizuno S, Glowacki J.  Chondroinduction of human dermal fibroblasts by demineralized bone in three-dimensional culture.  Exp Cell Res 1996;227:89-97.
3. Mueller SM, Glowacki J. Age-related decline in the osteogenic potential of human bone marrow cells cultured in three-dimensional collagen sponges. J Cell Biochem 2001;82:583-590.
4. Glowacki J. Engineered cartilage, bone, joints, and menisci. Cells, Tissues, Organs. 2001;169:302-308.
5. Glowacki J, Hurwitz S, Thornhill TS, Kelly M, LeBoff ML.  Osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency among postmenopausal osteoarthritic women undergoing total hip arthroplasty.  J Bone Joint Surg. 2003; 85A: 2371-2377.
6. Mulliken JB, Glowacki J.  Hemangiomas and vascular malformations of infants and children:  a classification based on endothelial characteristics.  Plastic Reconstr Surg 1982;69 412-420.
7. Yates KE, Mizuno S, Glowacki J.  Early shifts in gene expression during chondroinduction of human dermal fibroblasts.  Exp Cell Res 2001;265:203-211.
8. Eid K, Zelicof S, Perona  BP, Sledge CB, Glowacki J.  Tissue reactions to particles of bone-substitute materials in intraosseous and heterotopic sites in rats: Discrimination of osteoinduction, osteocompatibility, and inflammation. J Orthop Res 2001;9: 58-65.
9. Eid K, Chen E, Griffith L, Glowacki J.  Effect of RGD-coating on osteocompatibility of PLGA-polymer disks in a rat tibial wound.  J Biomed Mat Res 2001;57:224-231.
10. August M, Chung K, Chang Y, Glowacki J.  Influence of estrogen status on implant osseointegration.  J Oral Maxillofacial Surg 2001;59:1285-1289.
11. Glowacki J, Shusterman EM, Troulis M, Holmes R, Perrott D, Kaban LB.  Distraction osteogenesis of the porcine mandible: histomorphometric evaluation of bone.  Plastic Reconstr Surg 2004; 113:566-73.
12. Warden S, Zaleske DJ, Glowacki J.  Fate of a chimeric joint construct in an ectopic site in SCID mice.  Cell Transplantation.  2004; 13:161-168.
13. Zhou S, Lechpammer S, Greenberger JS, Glowacki J.  Hypoxia inhibition of adipocytogenesis in human bone marrow stromal cells requires TGFβ/Smad3 signaling.  J Biol Chem  2005; 280: 22688-22696.
14. Eid K, Thornhill TS, Glowacki J.  Chondrocyte gene expression in osteoarthritis: Correlation with disease severity. J Orthop Res 2006;24:1062-8.

Recent Review Chapters

1. August M, Glowacki J.  Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome.  In: Primary Care of Women, 2nd Edition.  KJ Carlson, SA Eisenstat (Eds). Mosby, St. Louis, 2002; pp 66-70.
2. Glowacki J.  Mechanisms of Biomineralization,  In: Disorders of Bone and Mineral Metabolism,  F Coe and M Favus, Eds.  Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2002; pp 227-234.
3. Murray M, Mankin HJ, Glowacki J.  The Musculoskeletal System.  In: The Physiological Basis of Surgery, 3rd Edition, JP O'Leary (Ed), Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2002; pp 577-95.
4. Minas T, Glowacki J.  Cartilage Repair and Regeneration.  In: Operative Arthroscopy, 3rd Edition, J.B. McGinty (Ed.), Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2002; pp 127-138.
5. Simon J, LeBoff MS, Wright J, Glowacki J.  Fractures in the Elderly and Vitamin D.  J Nutr Health Aging 2002;6:406-412.
6. Glowacki J.  Histogenesis.  Encyclopedia of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering. G. Wnek, G. Bowlin (Eds.),  Dekker, Inc., New York, 2004, pp 762-769.
7. Glowacki J, Mizuno S.  Biomaterials in Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering.  Curr Opinion Orthpaedics 2004;15:347-354.
8. Glowacki J, LeBoff MS.  Vitamin D Insufficiency and Fracture Risk.  Curr Opinion Endocrin Diabetes 2004; 11:353-358.
9. Glowacki J.  Vitamin D as a Hormone.  Endocrine News.  Aug/Sept 2005; pp 11-13.