Bone Health Laboratory

Introduction

Dr. Ambrose’s laboratory is focused on Bone Health.  She specializes in determining the effect of genetic conditions, diseases, drugs, and aging on bone strength and elasticity.  She has developed multiple technologies for assessing bone properties using traditional and novel methods.  She has evaluated orthopaedic implant materials and assessed their biocompatibility properties.  In addition, she has developed techniques for preventing, diagnosing, and treating musculoskeletal infections.

Research Interests

  • Methods to assess bone properties noninvasively
  • Bone properties as a function of aging
  • Bone properties in rare diseases including osteogenesis imperfecta and pseudoachondroplasia
  • Drug-delivery systems to treat orthopaedic infections
  • Novel antiseptics for infection treatment to reduce dependence on antibiotics
  • Molecular genetic techniques to accurately diagnose infection

Publications

  1. MacKay DL, Kean TJ, Bernardi KG, Haeberle HS, Ambrose CG, Lin F, Dennis JE. Reduced Bone Loss in a Murine Model of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis lacking Complement Component 3. J Orthop Res 36(1):118-128, 2018.
  2.  Xue Y, Baker AL, Nader S, Orlander P, Sanchez AJ, Kellam J, Rianon NJ, Ambrose CG. Lumbar spine trabecular bone score (TBS) reflects diminished bone quality in patients with diabetes mellitus and oral glucocorticoid therapy. J Clin Densitom, 21(2):185-192, 2018.
  3. Coustry F, Posey KL, Maerz T, Baker K, Abraham AM, Ambrose CG, Nobakhti S, Shefelbine SJ, Bi X, Newton M, Gawronski K, Remer L, Veerisetty AC, Hossain MG, Chiu F, Hecht JT. Mutant cartilage oligomeric matrix cartilage (COMP) compromises bone integrity, joint function and the balance between adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Matrix Biol. 67:75-89, 2018.
  4. Kaplan HB. Miranda JA, Gogola GR, Gomez K, Ambrose CG. Persistence of Bacterial DNA in Orthopaedic Infections. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 91(2):136-140, 2018.
  5. Rianon N, Ambrose C, Buni M, Watt G, Reyes-Ortiz C, Lee M, Mccormick J, Fisher-Hoch S. Trabecular Bone Score is a valuable addition to Bone Mineral Density for bone quality assessment in older Mexican American Women with type 2 diabetes. J Clin Densitom, 21(3):355-359, 2018.
  6. Ambrose CG, Soto Martinez M, Bi X, Deaver J, Kuzawa C, Schwartz L, Dawson B, Bachim A, Polak U, Lee B, and Crowder C. Mechanical Properties of Infant Bone. Bone, 113:151-160, 2018.
  7. Rianon NJ, Smith SM, Lee M, Pervin H, Musgrave P, Watt GP, Nader S, Khosla S, Ambrose CG, McCormick JB, and Fisher-Hoch SP. Glycemic Control and Bone Turnover in Older Mexican Americans with Type 2 Diabetes. J Osteoporosis, May 13;2018.
  8. Chiadika SM, Shobayo FO, Naqvi SH, Saraykar SS, Ambrose CG, Rianon NJ. Lower femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly women not on statins. Women & Health. 59(8):845-853, 2019.
  9. Baker AC, Ambrose CG, Knudson PL, Saraykar SS, Piller L, McCurdy SA, Rianon NJ. Factors considered by inter-professional team for treatment decision in hip fracture with dementia, J Am Geriatr Soc, 67(6):1132-1137, 2019.
  10.  Srinivasan A, Young M, Ambrose C, Kellam J. Maintenance of Compression With a Positional Screw Versus Compression Generated With a Lag Screw. J Orthop Trauma 33(11):564-568, 2019.
  11. Shaw J, Gary JL, Baker A, Kaplan HB, Kim Y, Milhoan M, Burgess AR, and Ambrose CG. The Effects of Sterilization Techniques on Bioactivity of Polymethyl Methacrylate Antibiotic Beads Containing Vancomycin and Tobramycin. J Orthop Trauma, 34(4):e109-e113, 2020.
  12. Zieba J, Munivez E., Castellon A, Jiang MM, Dawson B, Ambrose CG, and Lee B. Fracture healing in collagen-related preclinical models of Osteogenesis Imperfecta. J Bone Miner Res. 35(6):1132-1148, 2020.
  13. Shaw J, Gary J, Ambrose C, Routt MC. Multidimensional Pelvic Fluoroscopy: A New and Novel Technique for Assessing Safety and Accuracy of Percutaneous Iliosacral Screw Fixation. J Orthop Trauma, 34(11):572-577, 2020.
  14. Grol MW, Haelterman NA, Lim J, Munivez EM, Archer M, Hudson DM, Tufa SF, Keene DR, Lei K, Park D, Kuzawa CD, Ambrose CG, Eyre DR, and Lee BH. Tendon and motor phenotypes in the Crtap -/- mouse model of recessive Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Elife, 10:e63488, 2021.
  15. Chen Y, Yang S, Lovisa S, Ambrose CG, McAndrews KM, Sugimoto H, Kalluri R. Type-I collagen produced by distinct fibroblast lineages reveals specific function during embryogenesis and Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Nat Commun. 12(1):7199, 2021.
  16. Duran I, Zieba J, Csukasi F, Martin JH, Wachtell D, Barad M, Dawson B, Fafilek B, Jacobson CM, Ambrose CG, Cohn DH, Lee BH, Krakow D. ER stress reduction by 4-PBA treatment improves bone phenotypes in the Aga2 mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta. JBMR, Jan 8, 2022, online ahead of print.

Abstracts

  1. Ambrose CG, Soto Martinez M, Deaver J, Kuzawa C, Bi X, Crowder C. Mechanical Properties of Infant Bone.  Presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, New Orleans, March 2018.
  2. Grafe I, Tomkinson I, Haeberle H, Lee Y-C, Bi X, Lee B, and Ambrose CG. The effects of age and sex on viscoelastic bone properties in mice.  Presented at The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Annual Meeting, Montreal, September 2018.
  3. Zieba J, Munivez E., Jiang MM, Ambrose C, and Lee B. OI fractures show delayed healing and increased possibility of re-fracture in murine models.  Presented at the 2018 meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, San Diego, October 2018.
  4. Hamad CD, Masterson W, Vemulapalli KC, Mathis KB, and Ambrose CG. Rethinking how Commonly Prescribed Diabetic Drugs Affect Osteoblast Survival.  Presented at the 2019 meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Austin, February 2019.
  5. Prasarn M, Alford T, Purtle B, Materson K, Masterson W, Issac AG, Pernik MN, Kellam J, Ambrose CG. The Effect of e-Cigarette Use on Fracture Healing.  Presented at the 2019 meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Austin, February 2019.
  6. Shaw J, Baker A, Kim Y, Milhoan M, Gary JL, Burgess AR, Kaplan HB, Ambrose CG. The Effects of Sterilization Techniques on Bioactivity of PMMA Antibiotic Beads Containing Vancomycin and Tobramycin.  Presented at the 2019 meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, Denver, September 2019.
  7. Shaw J, Gary JL, Ambrose CG, Routt ML. Multidimensional Pelvic Fluoroscopy: A New and Novel Technique for Assessing Safety and Accuracy of Percutaneous Iliosacral Screw Fixation.  Presented at the 2019 meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, Denver, September 2019.
  8. Ambrose CG. The Structure and Material Properties of Bone.  Keynote address, Society of Engineering Science Meeting, St. Louis, October 2019.
  9. Carrillo L, Kumar A, Triolo F, Xue H, Ambrose C, Bi X, Issac A, Cox CS. Bone Regeneration with Wharton Jelly in a Critical Size Alveolar Cleft Defect Model.  Presented at the Clinical Congress 2019, American College of Surgeons, San Francisco, October 2019.
  10. Masterson W, Millare G, Ambrose C, Prasarn M, and Kellam J. “Gamma-Tocotrienol Increases Osteoblast Function and Improves their Function after Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Liquid Which Decreases Osteoblast Function”. Presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Phoenix, Feb 2020.
  11. Banner K, Hamad CD, Mathis KB, and Ambrose CG. “Effects of Frequently Prescribed Diabetes Drugs on Normoglycemic Osteoblast Growth and Survival”, Presented at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Phoenix, Feb 2020.
  12. Petty LE, Shaw DM, Polikowsky H, Lee M, Rianon NJ, Ambrose CG, Fisher-Hoch SP, McCormick JB, Below JE. DWAS of bone mineral density in a health-disparate Hispanic/Latino population reveals known and novel loci.  Presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, October 26, 2020.
  13. Rieger WD, Park AY, Kellam JF, Ambrose CG. Effects of tranexamic acid on human osteoblasts as proxy for fracture healing.  Presented at the 2020 Annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, October 21-24, 2020.
  14. Mohanty R, Nigam A, Tai BL, Ambrose C, Kellam J, Krishnamurthy V. A Bone Drilling Simulator With Data Feedback For Quantitative Assessment And Training.  Presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, February 2021.
  15. Narro AJ, Brown E, Kaplan HB, Ambrose CG. Bacteriophage-Containing Biodegradable Microsphere Technology to Treat Osteomyelitis.  Presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, Tampa Florida, February 2022.

Current Grant Support: 

Title: Improved Fracture Risk Prediction in Subjects with Osteoporosis

Source: Consortium on Aging

PI: Catherine Ambrose

9/1/19-8/30/20            $10,000

Title: Fracture Fixation Training using a Hybrid Simulator with Data Visualization

Source: Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation

PI: James Kellam, MD

Co-I: Catherine Ambrose, PhD

7/1/19-6/30/22            $297,726

 

Past Grant Support:

Title:  Development of an Animal Model for Osteoporosis to Determine the Effect of NSAIDS on Post-Menopausal Bone Loss

Source:  Women’s Fund for Health Education and Research

PI:  Catherine G. Ambrose, Ph.D.

2/97-2/98       $14,540

Title:  Evaluation of Bone Substitute Material in a Critical‑Size Defect in a Sheep Model

Source:  Biomet

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, Ph.D.

9/98-12/00      $157,362

Title:  Effects of NSAIDs on Osteointegration

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:  Dhiren Sheth, MD

1/01/04-12/31/04      $56,701

Title:  Development of a Trauma Database for a Level 1 Trauma Center in the Texas Medical Center

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:  Kevin Coupe, MD

1/01/04-12/31/04      $49,542

Title:  Resident and Fellow Research and Education

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI: Catherine Ambrose, Ph.D.

Co-PI: Dhiren Sheth, MD.

8/05/05-12/31/08        $50,000

Title:  Biomechanical Evaluation of Anatomic Contoured Locking Plates for Periarticular Fractures

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:  Dhiren Sheth, MD

8/15/05-8/15/07        $80,947

Title:  Evaluation of Trabecular Metal Implants and Biodegradable Microspheres Impregnated with BMP2

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:  Dhiren Sheth, MD

4/16/06-12/19/07      $214,633

Title:  Evaluation of Trabecular Metal Implants and Antibiotic Impregnated Microspheres in Osteomyelitis

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI: Catherine Ambrose, Ph.D.

Co-PI: Terry Clyburn, M.D.

7/01/05-7/27/07          $119,770

Title:  Effects of NSAIDs on Osteointegration – Continuing Studies

Source:  Zimmer, Inc

PI: Catherine Ambrose, Ph.D.

Co-PI: Dhiren Sheth, MD.

7/01/05-7/27/07          $88,615

Title:  Identification of Causative Bacteria in Osteomyelitis Using Rapid and Sensitive 16SrRNA Detection

Source:  Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation

PI:  Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:  Terry Clyburn, MD, Heidi Kaplan, PhD

7/01/07-6/30/10        $150,000

Title:  Testing for Contrasting Infection Rates and Biofilm Formation Among Biomaterials in an in vitro Biofilm Infection Model

Source:  Stryker, Inc

PI: Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:Milan Sen, MD and Heidi Kaplan

1/1/10-6/30/11            $32,486

Title:  A Biomechanical Study Comparing Lag Screw Only to Standard Lateral Plating in the Fixation of Lateral Malleolus Ankle Fracture

Source:  DePuy Synthes

PI: Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:Ray Yang, MD, Michael Grecula, MD

3/7/14-3/8/15              $20,795

Title:  Fusion bolt versus plating for stability of the medial column in extended hindfoot arthrodesis

Source:  DePuy Synthes

PI: Catherine Ambrose, PhD

Co-I:Taggart Gauvain, MD, William McGarvey, MD

3/1/15-2/28/16            $35,900