Johnny Huard, Professor
Director, Stem Cell Research Center
Henry J. Mankin, M.D., Endowed Chair
for Orthopaedic Research
PhD, Laval University, 1993
Email: jhuard@pitt.edu.
Research Interests:
Johnny Huard, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh is a Professor in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry and Bioengineeeing, and also the Director of the Stem Cell Research Center of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He was recently named the Henry J. Mankin, M.D. Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery Research. Dr. Huard is also the Deputy Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine (MIRM); Cellular Therapeutic Pillar and an Associate Director of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI). Dr. Huard was also recently appointed as the Vice Chair of Research for Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh. Finally, Dr. Huard is co-founder of Cook-Myosite, Inc., a biotechnology company.
Dr. Huard's main research focus continues to expand the possibilities of tissue engineering by unlocking the potential of gene therapy and adult stem cell research and transferring research findings into the development of effective treatments for damaged or diseased tissues as they relate to the musculoskeletal system. He has established international recognition for his research discoveries in this area. He has made significant preclinical advances in the isolation, identification and characterization of muscle-derived stem cells. He is currently using those findings to explore and develop cutting-edge treatment programs to address Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and a variety of orthopaedic ailments associated with muscle, bone and cartilage injuries. Dr. Huard¡¯s research program is funded by a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health, Muscular Dystrophy Association, as well as other private and public foundations.
At the University of Pittsburgh / Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC), scientists and physicians are working around the clock to expand the possibilities of tissue engineering by unlocking the potential of gene therapy and adult stem cell research and transferring research findings into the development of effective treatments for damaged or diseased tissues. Medicine has moved from treating the pain of injuries to treating their cause and the SCRC has taken the initiative to lead this movement in the area of cellular therapeutics.
Led by Dr. Johnny Huard and Dr. Bruno Peault, the faculty and staff of the SCRC are using cutting edge technology in cellular techniques, observation, and analyses to seek out the answers to the cellular therapies of tomorrow. Muscular injuries, including muscular dystrophy, bone fractures, nervous system conduction pathways, cardiac repair, and vascular blockages are all being targeted by the center as areas of keen interest in medicine. Each member of the center is focused on the translation of their research into applications within your clinic.
The SCRC is a fully collaborative center spanning many disciplines throughout the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Many of the center's collaborative colleagues reside in the focus groups within its laboratories.
The Departments of Orthopaedics, Cardiothroacic Surgery, and Rehabilitation along with the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the McGowan Center for Regenerative Medicine, among others, share in the SCRC's goals for the future of cellular regenerative medicine.
For details of current projects, and members of the Stem Cell Research Center, please visit: http://www.pitt.edu/~huardlab/main.htm
Recent Publications
Liu TS, Weiss KR, Fu FH, Huard J. Gene therapy and tissue engineering in orthopaedic surgery. Instr Course Lect 2006; 55:597-611.
Feeley BT, Krenek L, Liu N, Hsu WK, Gamradt SC, Schwarz EM, Huard J, Lieberman JR. Overexpression of noggin inhibits BMP-mediated growth of osteolytic prostate cancer lesions. Bone 2006 Feb; 38(2):154-66.
Lavasani M, Lu A, Peng H, Cummins J, Huard J. Nerve growth factor improves the muscle regeneration capacity of muscle stem cells in dystrophic muscle. Hum Gene Ther 2006 Feb; 17(2):180-92.
Kuroda R, Usas A, Kubo S, Corsi K, Peng H, Rose T, Cummins J, Fu FH, Huard J. Cartilage repair using bone morphogenetic protein 4 and muscle-derived stem cells. Arthritis Rheum 2006 Feb; 54(2):433-42.
Jankowski RJ, Prantil RL, Chancellor MB, de Groat WC, Huard J, Vorp DA. Biomechanical characterization of the urethral musculature. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2006 May; 290(5): F1127-1134.
Zheng B, Cao B, Li G, Huard J. Mouse adipose-derived stem cells undergo multilineage differentiation in vitro but primarily osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation in vivo. Tissue Eng 2006 Jul; 12(7):1891-901.
Kwon D, Kim Y, Pruchnic R, Jankowski R, Usien I, deMiguel F, Huard J, Chancellor MB. Periurethral cellular injection: comparison of muscle-derived progenitor cells and fobroblasts with regard to efficacy and tissue contractility in an animal model of stress urinary incontinence. Urology 2006 Aug; 68(2):449-54.
Kim Y, de Miguel F, Usiene I, Kwon D, Yoshimura N, Huard J, Chancellor MB. Injection of skeletal muscle-derived cells into the penis improves erectile function. Int J Impot Res 2006 Jul-Aug; 18(4):329-34.
Weiss KR, Coper GM, Jadlowiec JA, McGough RL, 3 rd, Huard J. VEGF and BMP Expression in mouse osteosarcoma cells. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2006 Sep; 450:111-117.
Feeley BT, Liu NQ, Conduah AH, Krenek L, Roth K, Dougall WC, Huard J, Dubinett S, Lieberman JR. Mixed metastatic lung cancer lesions in bone are inhibited by noggin overexpression and rank:fc administration. J Bone Miner Res 2006 Oct; 21(10):1571-80.
Shen P, Prisk V, Li Y, Foster W, Huard J. Inhibited skeletal muscle healing in cyclooxygenase-2 gene-deficient mice: the role of PGE2 and PGF2{alpha}. J Appl Physiol 2006 Oct; 101(4):1215-2
