Primary focus of our laboratory is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in how cells sense, transduce and signal mechanical stimuli and how cells work in synchrony to propagate locally generated signals throughout the skeletal tissue and others mechanosensitive tissues such as endothelium, urothelium by means of receptor, junctional, cytoskeletal and focal adhesion proteins under healthy and pathological conditions.

Training opportunities are available for students and both research and clinical fellows in my laboratory with respect to each of these project areas.

1.       Lewis KJ, Cabahug-Zuckerman P, Louie J, Stephen S, Spray DC, Thi MM, Seref-Ferlengez Z, Boorman-Padgett JF, Majeska RJ, Weinbaum S, Schaffler MB. E2 Depletion blunts Osteocyte Calcium Signaling Responses to Mechanical Loading In vivo and remodels mechanosome complexes. Bone. 2021;152:116072. PMID: 34171514.

2.     Cibelli A, Lopez-Quintero SV, McCutcheon S, Scemes E, Spray DC, Stout Jr RF, Suadicani SO, Thi MM, Urban-Maldonado M. Generation and Characterization of Immortalized Mouse Cortical Astrocytes From Wildtype and Connexin43 Knockout Mice. Front Cell Neurosci. 2021;15(60). doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.647109. PMID: 33790744 PMCID: PMC8005635.

3.       Harroche J, Urban-Maldonado M, Thi MM, Suadicani SO. Mechanosensitive Vaginal Epithelial ATP Release and Pannexin 1 channels in Healthy, in Type 1 Diabetic and in Surgically Castrated Female Mice.   J Sex Med, May;17(5):870-880, 2020. PMID: 32241676, PMCID: PMC7188554.

4.     He Z, Leonga DJ, Xua L, Hardin JA, Majeska RJ, Schaffler MB, Thi MM, Yang L, Goldring MB, Cobelli NJ, Sun HB. CITED2 mediates the cross-talk between mechanical loading and IL-4 to promote chondroprotection. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1442: 128-137, 2019. PMID: 30891766, PMCID: PMC6956611.

5.       Seref-Ferlengez Z, Urban-Maldonado M, Sun HB, Schaffler MB, Suadicani SO, *^§Thi MM. Role of pannexin 1 channels in load-induced skeletal response. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1442(1): 79-90, 2019. PMID: 29952014, PMCID: PMC6310681.

6.       Cabahug-Zukerman P, Stout R, Majeska RJ, Thi MM, Spray DC, Weinbaum S, Schaffler MB. A Specialized β3 integrin-based mechanotransduction structure on osteocyte processes. J Orthop Res. 36(2):642-652, 2018. PMID: 29087614, PMCID: PMC5839970.

7.       Lewis KL, Frikha-Benayed D, Louie J, Stephen S, Spray DC, Thi MM, Seref-Ferlengez Z, Majeska RJ, Weinbaum S, Schaffler MB. Effects of strain magnitude and loading frequency on osteocyte calcium signaling in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 114(44):11775-11780, 2017. PMID: 29078317, PMCID: PMC5676898.

8.       Seref-Ferlengez Z, Suadicani SO, *^§Thi MM. A New Perspective on Mechanisms Governing Skeletal Complications in Type 1 Diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1383(1): 67-79, 2016. PMID: 27571221, PMCID: PMC5118151.

9.       Seref-Ferlengez Z, Maung S, Schaffler MB, Spray DC, Suadicani SO, *^§Thi MM. P2X7R-Panx1 Complex Impairs Bone Mechanosignaling Under High Glucose Levels Associated with Type-1 Diabetes. PLOS ONE. 11(5):e0155107. eCollection 2016. PMID: 27159053, PMCID: PMC4861344.

10.   Cheung WY, Morgan S, Seref-Ferlengez Z, Basta-Pljakic J, Thi MM, Suadicani SO, Spray DC, Majeska RJ, Fritton JC and Schaffler MB. Pannexin-1 and P2X7-Receptor Are Required for Apoptotic Osteocytes in Fatigued Bone to Trigger RANKL Production in Neighboring Bystander Osteocytes. 31: 890-899, 2016. PMID: 26553756, PMCID: PMC4915221.

11.   Schneider JL, Villarroya J, Diaz-Carretero A, Patel B, Urbanska AM, Thi MM, Villarroya F, Santambrogio L, Cuervo AM. Loss of hepatic chaperone-mediated autophagy accelerates proteostasis failure in aging. Aging Cell. 14:249-264, 2015. PMID: 25620427, PMCID: PMC4364837.

12.   Negoro H, Urban-Maldonado M, Liou LS, Spray DC, Thi MM, Suadicani SO. Pannexin 1 channels play essential roles in urothelial mechanotransduction and intercellular signaling. PLOS ONE. 9(8):e106269. eCollection 2014. PMID: 25170954, PMCID: PCM4149561.

13.   Thi MM, Suadicani SO, Schaffler MB, Weinbaum S, Spray DC. Mechanosensory responses of osteocytes to physiological forces occur along processes and not cell body and require α_Vβ₃ Integrin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 110:21012-21017, 2013. PMID: 24324138, PMCID: PMC3876252.

14.   Scharf B, Clement CC, Yodmuang S, Urbanska A, Suadicani SO, Aphkhazava D, Thi MM, Perino G, Hardin J, Cobelli N, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Santambrogio L. Age-related carbonylation of fibro-cartilage structural proteins drives tissue degenerative modification. Chem Biol. 20:922-934, 2013. PMID: 23890010, PMCID: PMC3758909.

15.   Spray DC, Hanstein R, Stout R, Suadicani SO, Thi MM. Gap junctions and Bystander effects: Good Samaritans and executioners. WIREs Membr Transp Signal, 2:1-15, 2013. PMID: 23565352, PMCID: PMC3614363.

16.   Thi MM, Islam S, Suadicani SO, Spray DC. Connexin43 and Pannexin 1 in Osteoblasts: Who is the “hemichannel”? J Membr Biol, 245:401-409, 2012. PMID: 22797941, PMCID: PMC3427001.

17.   Weinbaum S, Duan Y, Thi MM, You L. An integrative review of mechanotransduction in endothelial, epithelial (renal) and dendritic cells (osteocytes). Cell Mol Bioeng, 4:510-537, 2011. PMID: 23976901, PMCID: PMC3748935.

18.   Thi MM, Urban-Maldonado M, Spray DC, Suadicani SO. Characterization of hTERT-immortalized osteoblast cell lines generated from wildtype and connexin43-null mouse calvaria. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 299:C994-C1006, 2010. PMID: 20686067, PMCID: PMC2980299.

19.   Thi MM, Suadicani SO, Spray DC. Fluid flow-induced soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) isoforms regulate actin adaptation in osteoblasts. J Biol Chem, 285:30931-41, 2010. PMID: 20682775, PMCID: PMC2945584.

20.   Thi MM, Iacobas DA, Iacobas S, Spray DC. Fluid shear stress up-regulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor gene expression in osteoblasts. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1117:73-81, 2007. PMID: 17646268.

21.   Thi MM, Weinbaum S, Tarbell JM, Spray DC. The role of the glycocalyx in reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton under fluid shear stress: A ‘bumper-car’ model. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 101:16483-16488, 2004. PMID: 15545600, PMCID: PMC534550.