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Hongshuai Li, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation

Introduction

Dr. Li joined Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa in July 2021. Prior to joining UI, Dr. Li served as an Assistant Professor in Department of Orthopaedics Surgery in University of Pittsburgh and the Director of the Musculoskeletal Growth & Regeneration Laboratory. Dr. Li has a long-standing research interest in musculoskeletal diseases and regenerative medicine and made significant scientific contributions to the understanding of pathophysiology of various musculoskeletal disorders including osteonecrosis, muscle injuries, bone and cartilage defects, as well as osteoarthritis. The long-term goals of Dr. Li’s research are to understand how skeletal muscle, the largest organ in the body, communicates with other organs as a harbor of progenitor cells and signaling molecules; and to develop cellular and molecular therapies to treat various musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative conditions. Dr. Li’s current research focuses on targeting nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway to treat muscle/bone comorbidities in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and characterizing cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle-bone interaction in neuromuscular and age-related diseases. Dr. Li has published over 40 original research articles and served on several review panels of scientific journals. Dr. Li is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and other foundations. The research laboratory offers research fellows, medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students the opportunity and the ability to participate in basic research related to musculoskeletal regeneration with emphasis on the stem cells and cross-talks between tissues.

Current Positions

  • Assistant Professor - Orthopedics and Rehabilitation

Education

  • MD in Medicine, Shandong Medical University, Jinan, China
  • MS in Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
  • PhD in Orthopedics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
  • Resident in Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai 6th People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
  • Visiting Fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
  • Postdoctoral Associate in Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Graduate Program Affiliations

Research Interests

  • To understand how skeletal muscle, the largest organ in the body, communicates with other organs as a harbor of progenitor cells and signaling molecules.
  • To develop therapies targeting skeletal muscle to treat various musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative conditions.
  • Stem cell based musculoskeletal regeneration and cross talks between skeletal muscle and other musculoskeletal tissues during exercise, neuromuscular diseases and aging.

Selected Publications

  • Sun H, Sherrier M, Li H*. Skeletal Muscle and Bone-Emerging Targets of Fibroblast Growth Factor-21. Frontiers Physiology, 2021, March;12: 625287. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.625287. PMID: 33762965. PMCID: PMC7982600. (*Corresponding author)
  • Li H, Lu A, Gao X, Tang Y, Ravuri S, Wang B, Huard J. Improved Bone Quality and Bone Healing of Dystrophic Mice by Parabiosis. Metabolites, 2021 Apr 16;11(4):247. doi: 10.3390/metabo11040247. PMID: 33923553. PMCID: PMC8073674.
  • Li H*, Sun H, Qian B, Feng W, Carney D, Miller J, Hogan MV, Wang L. Increased Expression of FGF-21 Negatively Affects Bone Homeostasis in Dystrophin/Utrophin Double Knockout Mice. J Bone Miner Res, 2020 Apr;35(4):738-752. (*Corresponding author) doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3932. PMID: 31800971.
  • Sherrier M, Li H*. The impact of keto-adaptation on exercise performance and the role of metabolic-regulating cytokines. Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 Sep 1;110(3):562-573. (*Corresponding author) doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz145. PMID: 31347659.
  • Zhou S, Qian B, Wang L, Zhang C, Hogan MV, Li H*. Altered bone-regulating myokine expression in skeletal muscle Of Duchenne muscular dystrophy mouse models. Muscle Nerve, 2018 Oct;58(4):573-582. (*Corresponding author) doi: 10.1002/mus.26195. PMID: 30028902.
  • Wright VJ, McCrum CL, Li H, Tranovich MJ, Huard J. Significant Chondrocyte Viability Is Present in Acetabular Chondral Flaps Associated With Femoroacetabular Impingement. Am J Sports Med, 2018 Jan;46(1):149-152. doi: 10.1177/0363546517732751. PMID: 29024597.
  • Li H*, Lu A, Tang Y, Beckman S, Nakayama N, Poddar M, Hogan MV, Huard J. The superior regenerative potential of muscle-derived stem cells for articular cartilage repair is attributed to high cell survival and chondrogenic potential. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev, 2016 Nov 30;3:16065. (*Corresponding author) doi: 10.1038/mtm.2016.65. PMID: 27990446. PMCID: PMC5129874.
  • Li H*, Hicks JJ, Wang L, Oyster N, Philippon MJ, Hurwitz S, Hogan MV, Huard J. Customized platelet-rich plasma with transforming growth factor β1 neutralization antibody to reduce fibrosis in skeletal muscle. Biomaterials, 2016 May;87:147-156. (*Corresponding author) doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.02.017. PMID: 26923362.
  • Li H, Johnson NR, Usas A, Lu A, Poddar M, Wang Y, Huard J. Sustained release of bone morphogenetic protein 2 via coacervate improves the osteogenic potential of muscle-derived stem cells. Stem Cells Transl Med, 2013 Sep;2(9):667-77. doi: 10.5966/sctm.2013-0027. PMID: 23884640. PMCID: PMC3754467.
  • Li H, Usas A, Poddar M, Chen CW, Thompson S, Ahani B, Cummins J, Lavasani M, Huard J. Platelet-rich plasma promotes the proliferation of human muscle derived progenitor cells and maintains their stemness. PLoS One, 2013 Jun 7;8(6):e64923. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064923. PMID: 23762264. PMCID: PMC3676442.