About the Principal Investigator: Teresita Bellido, Ph.D.
- Professor and Chair, Dept. of Physiology and Cell Biology
- Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Div. Endocrinology, and Dept. of Orthopaedics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)
- Non-clinician Research Career Investigator
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
John L. McClellan Memorial Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas
Dr. Bellido is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology in the UAMS College of Medicine, as of July 1, 2020. She is a highly respected scientist, internationally known leader in bone research, highly committed also to mentorship and faculty development.
Bellido holds multiple major grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Veterans Administration. She serves on the Skeletal Biology Development and Disease Study Section for the NIH, and is the past president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), the premier international society of the field. Her research focuses on signal transduction in bone and muscle, with particular emphasis on osteocyte biology in health and disease and the mechanisms of hormonal action in the musculoskeletal system.
For her scientific and mentoring efforts, Bellido was awarded the IU Women Faculty Leadership Award and the Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award in 2015, the ASBMR 2015 Paula Stern Achievement Award, which recognizes a woman in the bone research field who has made significant scientific achievements and who has promoted the professional development and career advancement of women, and the 2018 ASBMR Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award in recognition for outstanding support by a senior scientist who has helped promote the independent careers of young investigators in bone and mineral metabolism. In 2022, Dr. Bellido was awarded the ASBMR Stephen M. Krane award, given in recognition of outstanding achievements in basic, translational, or clinical research in inflammation and/or skeletal matrix biology.
Contents
Learn more about the Bellido Lab.
Research Focus
The Bellido laboratory investigates the mechanisms of signal transduction among and within bone cells, with particular emphasis on the biology of osteocytes, and in cells of skeletal muscle. The laboratory employs in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models to study how hormones and mechanical force act on bone and muscle cells and affect their function.
Current Research Team
Lab: T. Bellido, Ph.D.
Lab: T. Bellido
Lab: T. Bellido, PhD
Lab: T. Bellido, Ph.D.
Representative Publications
- Tu X, Delgado-Calle J, Condon K, Maycas M, Zhang H, Carlesso N, Taketo MM, Burr D, Plotkin LI, Bellido T. Osteocytes mediate the anabolic actions of canonical Wnt/βcatenin signaling in bone. Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 112 (5) E478-E486, 2015.
- Maycas M, McAndrews KA, Sato AY, Pellegrini GG, Brown DM, Allen MR, Plotkin LI, Gortazar AR, Esbrit P, Bellido T. PTHrP-Derived Peptides Restore Bone Mass and Strength in Diabetic Mice: Additive Effect of Mechanical Loading. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 32(3):486-497, 2017. PMID 27683064.
- Delgado-Calle J, Anderson J, Cregor M, Condon K, Kuhstoss S, Plotkin LI, Bellido T, Roodman GD. Genetic deletion of sost or pharmacological inhibition of sclerostin prevent multiple myeloma-induced bone disease without affecting tumor growth. Leukemia doi: 10.1038/leu.2017.152, 2017.
- Sato AY, Richardson D, Cregor M, Davis HM, Au ED, McAndrews K, Zimmers TA, Organ JM, Peacock M, Plotkin LI, Bellido T. Glucocorticois induce bone and muscle atrophy by tissue-specific mechanisms upstream of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Endocrinology, 2017 Mar 1;158(3):664-677. doi: 10.1210/en.2016-1779.
- Sato AY, Cregor M, McAndrews K, Li T, Condon KW, Plotkin LI, Bellido T. Glucocorticoid-induced bone fragility is prevented in female mice by blocking Pyk2/anoikis signaling. Endocrinology, 2019, Jul 1;160(7):1659-1673. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00237. PMID: 31081900 Free PMC article.
- Amy Y Sato, Gretel G Pellegrini, Meloney Cregor, Kevin McAndrews, Roy B Choi, Maria Maiz, Olivia Johnson, Linda D McCabe, George P McCabe, Mario G Ferruzzi, Mary A Lila, Munro Peacock, David B Burr, Cindy H Nakatsu, Connie M Weaver, and Teresita Bellido. Skeletal Protection and Promotion of Microbiome Diversity by Dietary Boosting of the Endogenous Antioxidant Response. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2020 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4231
Research Projects
Overview
Research projects in the Bellido lab center on understanding physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that govern the function of the musculoskeletal system in health and disease, and developing genetic and pharmacological approaches to promote musculoskeletal health. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of osteocytes, the most abundant cells of bone, in driving the bone remodeling process in response to mechanical and hormonal cues, as well as in the role of these cells in cancer in bone and in multiple myeloma musculoskeletal disease.
The laboratory receives funding from the National Institutes of health (NIH), the Veteran Administration (VA), and the biopharmaceutical industry.
Mechanism of action of glucocorticoids in the musculoskeletal system
In vivo, ex vivo and in vitro approaches are used to study the mechanism of action of excess of glucocorticoids on bone and skeletal muscle. Recent work demonstrated that glucocorticoids upregulate the expression of atrophy related genes in both tissues, raising the possibility of targeting this common signaling pathway to interfere with the damaging actions of the hormones at the same time in bone and muscle. Current projects investigate genetic and pharmacologic approaches to interfere with the atrophy pathway towards preventing and/or recovering from glucocorticoid-induced bone fragility and muscle weakness.
PTH, osteocytes, and diabetes-induced bone disease
The demonstration that PTH downregulated the osteocytic Sost gene prompted to investigate whether some of the actions of PTH on the skeleton were mediated by hormonal actions on osteocytes. We demonstrated that activation of PTH receptor signaling in osteocytes is sufficient increase bone and elevate the rate of bone remodeling, two of the most recognized actions of PTH on the skeleton. Mechanistic studies revealed osteocyte-driven actions of PTH in different bone envelops, and on osteocytic genes including Sost, FGF23, OPG, RANKL, M-CSF, and MMP14. More recently, we demonstrated that activation of the PTH receptor restores the bone lost with diabetes; and that the FDA approved bone anabolic ligands of the PTH receptor PTH and abaloparatide protect the skeleton by mechanisms that differ in the rate of activation of bone remodeling.
Role of Osteocytes in cancer in bone in multiple myeloma
This collaborative work with Dr. David Roodman from Indiana University School of Medicine showed that interaction of multiple myeloma cells with osteocytes (in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo) bidirectionally activates the Notch signaling pathway, leading to myeloma cell growth and osteocyte apoptosis, respectively. Translational studies showed that genetic deletion or antibody blockade of sclerostin prevents the decrease in bone formation and the increase in resorption induced by multiple myeloma. These findings demonstrate that osteocytes are therapeutic targets to prevent the damaging effects of cancer in bone.
Nutrition, bone, and the microbiome
Earlier collaborative work with Dr. Connie Weaver at Purdue University investigated the role of the transcription factor Nrf2 in the protection of the skeleton induced by diets enriched in blueberries. We recently identified a cultivar of blueberries that protects from bone loss induced by sex steroid deficiency in female but not in male mice; and that the mechanism that underlies skeletal protection is linked to changes in the gut microbiome signature towards higher alpha and beta diversity.
Current Grants
As Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Leader
- 9/1/2011-5/31/2024: NIH R01 2R01AR059357-06. Glucocorticoid-induced Atrophy in Bone and Muscle. Role: PI
- 7/1/2023-6/31/2028: NIH 2R01CA209882. Contribution of Osteocytes to the Musculoskeletal Effects of Multiple Myeloma. Role MPI, with J Delgado-Calle (Contact PI).
- 4/1/2018-9/30/2023: VA I01 BX002104-05 Merit Award. PTH receptor Signaling and Diabetes-induced Bone Disease. Role: PI
- 4/1/2019-3/31/2024: VA-IK6BX004596 Research Career Scientist (RCS) Award, Department of Veterans Affairs, US. Role: PI
- 5/1/2022-6/2023: UAMS College of Medicine, Sturgis Grant program. Bone Disease Induced by Diabetes, Role: PI
- 10/1/2016-9/31/2023: PharmaMar S.A. Characterization of Aplidin® (plitidepsin) effects on multiple myeloma (MM)-induced bone disease. Role: PI
- 4/1/2022-3/30/2024: UAMS College of Medicine, Creativity Hub: Musculoskeletal Health and Disease
- 9/1/2020-6/30/2024: Arkansas Research Alliance Scholar Award. Arkansas Research Alliance. Musculoskeletal diseases. Role: PI
As Co-Investigator, Mentor or Collaborator
- 9/30/2021-3/31/2026: NIH R56 PPARγ regulates osteocyte bioenergetics and function during aging. Role: PI of subcontract UAMS- University of Toledo; PI: B Lecka-Czernik
Previous Grants (last five years)
As Principal Investigator (PI) or Project Leader
- 04/2017-03/2023: NIH R01 CA209882. Contribution of Osteocytes to the Musculoskeletal Effects of Multiple Myeloma. Role MPI with GD Roodman
- 4/1/2021-3/31/2022: UAMS 1-2-3 GO. Bone-targeted Pyk2 inhibitor for prevention of bone fragility. Role: PI
- 9/30/2014-8/31/2019: NIH-NCCAM R01-AT008754 and O2S1-AT008754. Berries and bone. Role: PI of subcontract IU-Purdue University; PI C Weaver
- 7/1/2022-6/31/2023: NSF. ORS Musculoskeletal Biology Workshop at Snowbird, Utah. Role: PI
- 06/2017, 06/2019: NSF Support for Junior Investigators at the ORS Musculoskeletal Biology Workshop at Sun Valley, Idaho. Role: PI
As Co-Investigator, Mentor or Collaborator
- 3/15/2021-2/14/2022: Arkansas Research Alliance ARA Impact Grant program. Genomic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Arkansas. Role: Collaborator. PI: D. Ussery.
- 12/1/2011-11/31/2020: VA I01 BX001478 Merit Award. Harnessing the anabolic potential of Wnt signaling to improve bone health. Role Co-I. PI: AR Robling
- 12/1/15-11/30/2020: NIH R01 AR068332. CaMKK2 Inhibition as a Dual-Action Bone Anabolic and Anti-Catabolic Therapy in Osteoporosis. Role: Co-Investigator. PI: U Sankar.
- 8/20/2018-7/31/2020: NIH-NIAMS R21AR074012-01. Nrf2 activation for treatment of osteoporosis. Role: Consultant; PI J Li
- 5/15/2018-4/30/2020: NIH-NIAMS R21AR071559-01. Mechanisms of Osteocyte Mechanotransduction in Dynamic Bone Adaptation. Role: PI of subcontract IU-University of Pensylvania; PI J Boerckel
- 4/1/2015-3/31/2020: NIH R01AR067210. Osteocyte apoptosis and regulation of bone resorption with aging. Role: Co-Investigator. PI: LI Plotkin
- 4/1/2013-3/31/2018 : NIH R01. Control of FGF23 bioactivity via circulating alphaKlotho. Role: Co-Investigator. PI.: KE White
Research Trainees and Mentees
Junior Faculty
- Ioana Pavel, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Sciences and Nanotechnology Center, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). 7/1/2006-7/1/2007
- Lilian Plotkin, Ph.D. Research Instructor (2002-2004) and Research Assistant Professor (2004-2008), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Assistant Professor (2008-2014). Indiana University School of Medicine.
- Nicoletta Bivi, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine. Recipient of IU Showalter Trust award to young investigators (7/1/2011-10/28/12).
- Xiaolin Tu, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine, 11/1/2009-5/30/2014
- Melissa Kacena, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine. Mentoring committee, 1/1/2008-1/1/2013
- Angela Bruzzaniti, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine. Mentoring committee, 1/1/2008-1/1/2013
- Achint Utreja, DDS, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Dentistry. 6/1/2014-2017
- Tatiana Kostrominova, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine, North West Campus, Gary, Indiana. 12/15/2014-2017
- Jesus Delgado-Calle, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor. Indiana University School of Medicine. 1/1/2016-present (Mentor American Society of Hematology–ASH scholar)
- Nilsson Holgin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Mechanical Engineering. Indiana University School of Medicine. 1/1/2017-2020
- Shuning Li, PhD. Assistant Professor, School of Engineering and Technology. Indiana University. 1/2018-1/2019
- Matthew Prideaux, PhD. Research Assistant Professor. Dept. Anatomy and Cell Biology. Indiana University School of Medicine. 6/1/2018
- Silvia Marino, PhD. Research Assistant Professor. Dept. of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology. Indiana University School of Medicine. 6/1/2018 (Mentor American Society of Hematology–ASH scholar)
- Aqueasha M. Martin-Hammond, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Human-Centered Computing, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University. 1/2019-1/2020
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Victoria Borba, M.D. 1994-1996. Postdoctoral fellow. Recipient of UAMS Student Research Day Award, 1994.
- Song-Chang Lin, Ph.D. 1994-1995. Postdoctoral fellow. Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 1995.
- Sufyan Said, M.D. 1997- 1999. Clinical Fellow Division of Endocrinology. Recipient of a 1998 award from the Endocrine Fellows Foundation.
- Lilian Plotkin, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow (1998-2002), Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2002
- Luis Angel Dominguez, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow. 4/2003-4/2004.
- Jose Ignacio Aguirre, D.V.M., Ph.D. 7/2002-7/2005. Postdoctoral fellow. Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2005
- Arancha Rodriguez de Gortazar, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow. 3/10/2006-2/28/2007
- Marta Martin Millan, M.D. Postdoctoral fellow. 3/10/2006-10/1/2008
- Yumie Rhee, M.D. Postdoctoral fellow. 7/1/2008-6/31/2010. Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2009; and Recipient A. Jee Award IBMS Sun Valley Workshop in Skeletal Biology, 2009
- Nicoletta Bivi, Ph.D. Postdoctoral fellow (co-mentoring with L Plotkin). 7/1/2008-6/30/2011. Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2009; and Recipient H. Frost/ASBMR Award, IBMS Sun Valley Workshop in Skeletal Biology, 2010.
- Jesus Delgado Calle, PhD. Postdoctoral fellow (co-mentoring with D Roodman). 1/3/2013-12/31/2015. Recipient of following awards: 2013 International Bone and Mineral Society (IBMS) Gideon and Sevgi Rodan Fellowship; 2014 travel award and poster presentation at the American Society Hematology meeting; 2015 AIMM/ASBMR John Haddad Young Investigator Award (Advances in Mineral Metabolism); 2015 Best Translational/Clinical Research presentation, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center Research Meeting; 2015 Best Translational Research presentation, Richard L. Roudebush VAMC Hospital Research Meeting; 2015 ASBMR Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Award, ORS Sun Valley Workshop on Musculoskeletal Biology; 2015 ASBMR Young Investigator Award; 2015 Scholar American Society of Hematology; 2016 ASBMR Most Outstanding Translational Abstract.
- Gretel Pellegrini, DDS, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow. 9/2014-9/2016. Recipient 2015 Under-Represented Minority Award ORS Sun Valley Workshop on Musculoskeletal Biology; Recipient of 2016 ASBMR Young Investigator Award.
- Aiji Yajima, M.D. Postdoctoral fellow. 11/2015 – 3/2016
- Amy Sato, Ph.D. 2/2017- present. Recipient of the following awards and grants: 2020 ASBMR/AIMM John Haddad Young Investigator Award, 2020 ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant Award, 2019 ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant Award, 2019 ORS 48th International Sun Valley Workshop ASBMR Harold M. Frost Award, 2018 ASBMR Fund for Research and Education Grant Award, 2018 ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant Award, 2017 ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant Award.
- Serra Ucer, Ph.D. 7/2018- 6/2020
Graduate Students
- Meena Mahmood, 4/1/2007-6/30/08 Graduate student, Nanotechnology Center, Department of Applied Biosciences. University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
- Naomie Olivos, Master Student, University of California at Dominguez Hills/ NIH Bridges to the Doctorate at IU School of Medicine, 2010-2012.
- Abdulah Ben-Awadh, Master Student in Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 2010-2012. Recipient of Young Investigator Award of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2012
- Amy Y. Sato, Graduate student Ph.D. candidate, IU School of Medicine 6/2012-present. 2015 Alice L. Jee Young Investigator Award, ORS Sun Valley Workshop on Musculoskeletal Biology; Recipient 2015 ASBMR Young Investigator Award; IU Honorable Mention Award Erica M. Daniel Kepner Award for Scientific Achievement.
- Emily G. Atkinson. Graduate student Ph.D. candidate, IU School of Medicine 5/2017-2019.
Short Term Scholars
- Irina Mathov, Ph.D. 11/2000- 3/2001. Fulbright International Exchange Program fellow. From University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Virginia Lezcano. 10/2007-12/2007. Graduate Student trainee, supported by the NIH-FIRCA program. From Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina, at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Virginia Lezcano. 3/2009-6/2009. Graduate Student trainee, supported by the NIH-FIRCA program. From Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina, at Indiana University School of Medicine
- Arancha Rodriguez de Gortazar, Ph.D. Postdoctoral short-term scholar. Assistant professor. Department of Medicine. From Universidad San Pablo-CEU, Madrid, Spain, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 6-7/2009
- Ana Carolina Ronda, Ph.D. Postdoctoral short-term scholar. From Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 7/2009-10/2009
- Eun Young Lee. Short-term scholar. From Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 4/2010-6/2010
- Giovanni Passeri. Short-term scholar. From University of Parma, Parma, Italy, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 6/2010-8/2010
- Carlo Galli. Short-term scholar. From University of Parma, Parma, Italy, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 7/2010-8/2010
- Won Jin Kim. Short-term scholar. From Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 6/2012-7/2012
- Marta Maycas-Cepeda. Short-term scholar (3 visits). From Universidad of Madrid, Spain, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 9/2013-12/2013; 9/2014-12/2014; and 8/2015-10/2015
Summer Students
- Edwin Peng, Summer 1995. 1st year medical student. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Brandy Brooks, Summer 1996. Undergraduate student, Partners in Research Program ACRC. Recipient of 1st Award for Undergraduate students. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Daniel Felton, Summer 1997. 1st year medical student. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Matt Quick, Summer 2002. 1st year medical student. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Baraka Williams. Summer graduate student. Bridges to the Doctorate Program, Indiana University-Jackson State University and STEM Summer Scholars Institute, Indiana University. 5/2009-7/2009
- Naomi Olivos. Summer graduate student. Bridges to the Doctorate Program, Indiana University-California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, 5/2010-8/2010 and 5/2011-8/2011
- Rachel Edwards. Summer medical student. Summer Research Program in Academic Medicine (SRPinAM), Indiana University. 5/2010-8/2010
- Danielle Richardson. Summer medical student. Summer Research Program in Academic Medicine (SRPinAM), Indiana University. 5/2012-8/2012
- Kali Kuhlenschmidt. Summer medical student. Summer Research Program in Academic Medicine (SRPinAM), Indiana University. 5/2013-8/2013
- Jasmine Tzegai. Summer student, volunteer. 6/2013-9/2013
- Monica Feustel. Summer student, Women in Science Program (WISE), Indiana University School of Medicine. 5/2014-8/2014
- Jasmine Tzegai. Summer student, volunteer. 6/2014-9/2014
- Benjamin Hankock. Summer medical student. Summer Research Program in Academic Medicine (SRPinAM), Indiana University. 5/2015-8/2015
- Victor Dominguez. Summer student.6/2017-8/2017
- Elive Likine. Summer student. 6/2017-8/2017
- Troy Li. Summer student, volunteer. 5/2017- 8/2017
- Anna Dan, volunteer, 2/2017-4/2018
- Gerald Wu. Summer student, 5/2017- 8/2017
- Olivia Jonhson, Summer Medical Student, Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMSPRS), Indiana University. 5/2018-8/2018
- Roberto Rico, High School Summer Student, SEED program, IUPUI, 5/2018-8/2018
- Sam Bosco, Medical Student, Marian University, Indianapolis, 7/2018-6/2019
- Punit Vyas, Engineer from Purdue University and accepted Medical Student Indiana Universtiy, Summer student, 5/2017-9/2019
- Bharat Gummalla, Indiana University 2nd year student Chemistry, summer student volunteer, 5/2019-8/2019