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Alayna E. Loiselle, Ph.D.

Alayna E. Loiselle, Ph.D.

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Office (585) 275-7239

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@LoiselleLab

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About Me

Faculty Appointments

Associate Professor - Department of Orthopaedics, Center for Musculoskeletal Research (SMD)

Associate Professor - Department of Biomedical Engineering (SMD) - Joint

Associate Professor - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SMD) - Joint

Credentials

Education

Post-doctoral Fellowship | Penn State College of Medicine. Orthopaedics. 2013

PhD | University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. Pathology. 2009

BS | Niagara University. Biology. 2004

Awards

Senior Leader Education & Development (SLED) Program. 2021 - 2023

Goldner Pioneer Award. 2014

Bond Bradley Award- Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow. 2013

Fellows Forum on Metabolic Bone Disease Travel Award. 2013

Young Investigator Award. 2012

Fellows Forum on Metabolic Bone Disease Travel Award. 2012

New Investigator Research Award Finalist. 2012

Alice L. Jee Young Investigator Award. 2011

New Investigator Research Award Finalist. 2011

Young Investigator Travel Award. 2011

Travel Award. 2008

Research

The overarching goal of our research program is to identify novel strategies to improve flexor tendon healing by reducing the formation of range of motion (ROM) limiting adhesions, without compromising mechanical strength. Flexor tendons glide through a synovial sheath to facilitate digit ROM and mo...
The overarching goal of our research program is to identify novel strategies to improve flexor tendon healing by reducing the formation of range of motion (ROM) limiting adhesions, without compromising mechanical strength. Flexor tendons glide through a synovial sheath to facilitate digit ROM and movement of the hand. Following injury, up to 40% of primary flexor tendon repairs will heal with unsatisfactory outcomes. The primary complication involves a robust scar tissue response, which forms adhesions between the tendon and synovial sheath, resulting impaired gliding function.
We have developed a novel murine model of intrasynovial FT healing, which mimics many aspects of healing in humans including abundant adhesion formation, impaired ROM and early decrements in tendon strength. We continue to use this model to gain a greater understanding of the cell and molecular processes involved in scar and adhesion formation in order to identify therapeutic targets to improve FT healing

Publications

Journal Articles

Loss of drives impairments in tendon structure and function.

Adjei-Sowah E, Lecaj E, Adhikari N, Sensini C, Nichols AEC, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

Matrix biology plus.. 2025 February 25 :100168. Epub 02/15/2025.

The Micromechanical Environment of the Impinged Achilles Tendon.

Mora KE, Mlawer SJ, Loiselle AE, Buckley MR

Small.. 2024 November 20 (44):e2401015. Epub 07/05/2024.

Correction: Scleraxis-lineage cells are required for tendon homeostasis and their depletion induces an accelerated extracellular matrix aging phenotype.

Korcari A, Nichols AEC, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

eLife.. 2024 January 313 Epub 01/03/2024.

Drug Delivery Approaches to Improve Tendon Healing.

Adjei-Sowah E, Benoit DSW, Loiselle AE

Tissue engineering. Part B, Reviews.. 2023 August 29 (4):369-386. Epub 03/08/2023.

Impact of aging on tendon homeostasis, tendinopathy development, and impaired healing.

Korcari A, Przybelski SJ, Gingery A, Loiselle AE

Connective tissue research.. 2023 January 64 (1):1-13. Epub 07/28/2022.

The surgical destabilization of the abductor muscle leads to development of instability-associated hip osteoarthritis in mice.

Geary MB, Orner CA, Shammas H, Reuter JM, Loiselle AE, Giordano BD, Wu CL

Journal of hip preservation surgery.. 2023 10 (3-4):158-165. Epub 07/29/2023.

CCR2 is expressed by tendon resident macrophage and T cells, while CCR2 deficiency impairs tendon healing via blunted involvement of tendon-resident and circulating monocytes/macrophages.

Muscat S, Nichols AEC, Gira E, Loiselle AE

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.. 2022 November 36 (11):e22607. Epub 1900 01 01.

Characterization of scar tissue biomechanics during adult murine flexor tendon healing.

Korcari A, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials.. 2022 June 130 :105192. Epub 03/23/2022.

Single-cell transcriptomics of popliteal lymphatic vessels and peripheral veins reveals altered lymphatic muscle and immune cell populations in the TNF-Tg arthritis model.

Kenney HM, Wu CL, Loiselle AE, Xing L, Ritchlin CT, Schwarz EM

Arthritis research & therapy.. 2022 March 724 (1):64. Epub 03/07/2022.

Ultrasound strain mapping of the mouse Achilles tendon during passive dorsiflexion.

Mora KE, Mlawer SJ, Bae AJ, Richards MS, Loiselle AE, Buckley MR

Journal of biomechanics.. 2022 February 132 :110920. Epub 12/20/2021.

Editorial: Tendinopathy Research- How Cutting Edge Developments Inform the Future Therapeutic Landscape.

Dakin SG, Loiselle AE, Traweger A

Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology.. 2022 10 :928144. Epub 05/13/2022.

Depletion of Scleraxis-lineage cells during tendon healing transiently impairs multi-scale restoration of tendon structure during early healing.

Korcari A, Muscat S, McGinn E, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

PloS one.. 2022 17 (10):e0274227. Epub 10/14/2022.

Effects of tamoxifen on tendon homeostasis and healing: Considerations for the use of tamoxifen-inducible mouse models.

Best KT, Studentsova V, Ackerman JE, Nichols AEC, Myers M, Cobb J, Knapp E, Awad HA, Loiselle AE

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2021 July 39 (7):1572-1580. Epub 06/09/2020.

Impact of isolation method on cellular activation and presence of specific tendon cell subpopulations during in vitro culture.

Nichols AEC, Muscat SN, Miller SE, Green LJ, Richards MS, Loiselle AE

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.. 2021 July 35 (7):e21733. Epub 1900 01 01.

Development of a Murine Model of Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis.

Qiu B, Cobb J, Loiselle AE, Ketonis C

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.. 2021 March 3103 (5):432-438. Epub 1900 01 01.

Metabolic Regulation of Tendon Inflammation and Healing Following Injury.

Ackerman JE, Best KT, Muscat SN, Loiselle AE

Current rheumatology reports.. 2021 February 1023 (3):15. Epub 02/10/2021.

Scleraxis-lineage cell depletion improves tendon healing and disrupts adult tendon homeostasis.

Best KT, Korcari A, Mora KE, Nichols AE, Muscat SN, Knapp E, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

eLife.. 2021 January 2210 Epub 01/22/2021.

NF-?B activation persists into the remodeling phase of tendon healing and promotes myofibroblast survival.

Best KT, Nichols AEC, Knapp E, Hammert WC, Ketonis C, Jonason JH, Awad HA, Loiselle AE

Science signaling.. 2020 November 1713 (658)Epub 11/17/2020.

Inhibition of the Prostaglandin EP-1 Receptor in Periosteum Progenitor Cells Enhances Osteoblast Differentiation and Fracture Repair.

Feigenson M, Jonason JH, Shen J, Loiselle AE, Awad HA, O'Keefe RJ

Annals of biomedical engineering.. 2020 March 48 (3):927-939. Epub 04/12/2019.

Effects of Type II Diabetes Mellitus on Tendon Homeostasis and Healing.

Loiselle AE, Oh I, Nichols AEC

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2020 January 38 (1):13-22. Epub 06/24/2019.

Non-Invasive Ultrasound Quantification of Scar Tissue Volume Identifies Early Functional Changes During Tendon Healing.

Ackerman JE, Studentsova V, Myers M, Buckley MR, Richards MS, Loiselle AE

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2019 November 37 (11):2476-2485. Epub 07/12/2019.

Deletion of NFKB1 enhances canonical NF-?B signaling and increases macrophage and myofibroblast content during tendon healing.

Best KT, Lee FK, Knapp E, Awad HA, Loiselle AE

Scientific reports.. 2019 July 299 (1):10926. Epub 07/29/2019.

The cellular basis of fibrotic tendon healing: challenges and opportunities.

Nichols AEC, Best KT, Loiselle AE

Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine.. 2019 July 209 :156-168. Epub 02/08/2019.

Scleraxis lineage cells contribute to organized bridging tissue during tendon healing and identify a subpopulation of resident tendon cells.

Best KT, Loiselle AE

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.. 2019 July 33 (7):8578-8587. Epub 04/05/2019.

Insulin Receptor deletion in S100a4-lineage cells accelerates age-related bone loss.

Studentsova V, Knapp E, Loiselle AE

Bone reports.. 2019 June 10 :100197. Epub 02/05/2019.

Cell non-autonomous functions of S100a4 drive fibrotic tendon healing.

Ackerman JE, Nichols AE, Studentsova V, Best KT, Knapp E, Loiselle AE

eLife.. 2019 May 248 Epub 05/24/2019.

Obesity/Type II Diabetes Promotes Function-limiting Changes in Murine Tendons that are not reversed by Restoring Normal Metabolic Function.

Studentsova V, Mora KM, Glasner MF, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

Scientific reports.. 2018 June 158 (1):9218. Epub 06/15/2018.

Aging does not alter tendon mechanical properties during homeostasis, but does impair flexor tendon healing.

Ackerman JE, Bah I, Jonason JH, Buckley MR, Loiselle AE

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2017 December 35 (12):2716-2724. Epub 05/03/2017.

Deletion of EP4 in S100a4-lineage cells reduces scar tissue formation during early but not later stages of tendon healing.

Ackerman JE, Best KT, O'Keefe RJ, Loiselle AE

Scientific reports.. 2017 August 177 (1):8658. Epub 08/17/2017.

Obesity/Type II diabetes alters macrophage polarization resulting in a fibrotic tendon healing response.

Ackerman JE, Geary MB, Orner CA, Bawany F, Loiselle AE

PloS one.. 2017 12 (7):e0181127. Epub 07/07/2017.

Murine Flexor Tendon Injury and Repair Surgery.

Ackerman JE, Loiselle AE

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE.. 2016 September 19 (115)Epub 09/19/2016.

Low-Dose and Short-Duration Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Inhibition Does Not Affect Adhesion Formation during Murine Flexor Tendon Healing.

Orner CA, Geary MB, Hammert WC, O'Keefe RJ, Loiselle AE

Plastic and reconstructive surgery.. 2016 March 137 (3):545e-553e. Epub 1900 01 01.

Biological Augmentation of Flexor Tendon Repair: A Challenging Cellular Landscape.

Loiselle AE, Kelly M, Hammert WC

The Journal of hand surgery.. 2016 January 41 (1):144-9; quiz 149. Epub 12/01/2015.

Development of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology against Tgf-? signaling to prevent scarring during flexor tendon repair.

Loiselle AE, Yukata K, Geary MB, Kondabolu S, Shi S, Jonason JH, Awad HA, O'Keefe RJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2015 June 33 (6):859-66. Epub 1900 01 01.

Loss of the PGE2 receptor EP1 enhances bone acquisition, which protects against age and ovariectomy-induced impairments in bone strength.

Zhang M, Feigenson M, Sheu TJ, Awad HA, Schwarz EM, Jonason JH, Loiselle AE, O'Keefe RJ

Bone.. 2015 March 72 :92-100. Epub 11/29/2014.

Parathyroid hormone 1-34 enhances extracellular matrix deposition and organization during flexor tendon repair.

Lee DJ, Southgate RD, Farhat YM, Loiselle AE, Hammert WC, Awad HA, O'Keefe RJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2015 January 33 (1):17-24. Epub 09/29/2014.

Systemic EP4 Inhibition Increases Adhesion Formation in a Murine Model of Flexor Tendon Repair.

Geary MB, Orner CA, Bawany F, Awad HA, Hammert WC, O'Keefe RJ, Loiselle AE

PloS one.. 2015 10 (8):e0136351. Epub 08/27/2015.

Integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of osteocytic cells exposed to fluid flow reveals novel mechano-sensitive signaling pathways.

Govey PM, Jacobs JM, Tilton SC, Loiselle AE, Zhang Y, Freeman WM, Waters KM, Karin NJ, Donahue HJ

Journal of biomechanics.. 2014 June 347 (8):1838-45. Epub 03/25/2014.

Evidence for the role of connexin 43-mediated intercellular communication in the process of intracortical bone resorption via osteocytic osteolysis.

Lloyd SA, Loiselle AE, Zhang Y, Donahue HJ

BMC musculoskeletal disorders.. 2014 April 915 :122. Epub 04/09/2014.

Shifting paradigms on the role of connexin43 in the skeletal response to mechanical load.

Lloyd SA, Loiselle AE, Zhang Y, Donahue HJ

Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.. 2014 February 29 (2):275-86. Epub 1900 01 01.

Connexin 43 deficiency desensitizes bone to the effects of mechanical unloading through modulation of both arms of bone remodeling.

Lloyd SA, Loiselle AE, Zhang Y, Donahue HJ

Bone.. 2013 November 57 (1):76-83. Epub 07/24/2013.

Specific biomimetic hydroxyapatite nanotopographies enhance osteoblastic differentiation and bone graft osteointegration.

Loiselle AE, Wei L, Faryad M, Paul EM, Lewis GS, Gao J, Lakhtakia A, Donahue HJ

Tissue engineering. Part A.. 2013 August 19 (15-16):1704-12. Epub 04/25/2013.

Gap junction and hemichannel functions in osteocytes.

Loiselle AE, Jiang JX, Donahue HJ

Bone.. 2013 June 54 (2):205-12. Epub 10/13/2012.

Biophysical regulation of stem cell differentiation.

Govey PM, Loiselle AE, Donahue HJ

Current osteoporosis reports.. 2013 June 11 (2):83-91. Epub 1900 01 01.

Osteoblast and osteocyte-specific loss of Connexin43 results in delayed bone formation and healing during murine fracture healing.

Loiselle AE, Paul EM, Lewis GS, Donahue HJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2013 January 31 (1):147-54. Epub 06/20/2012.

Inhibition of GSK-3? rescues the impairments in bone formation and mechanical properties associated with fracture healing in osteoblast selective connexin 43 deficient mice.

Loiselle AE, Lloyd SA, Paul EM, Lewis GS, Donahue HJ

PloS one.. 2013 8 (11):e81399. Epub 11/08/2013.

Bone marrow-derived matrix metalloproteinase-9 is associated with fibrous adhesion formation after murine flexor tendon injury.

Loiselle AE, Frisch BJ, Wolenski M, Jacobson JA, Calvi LM, Schwarz EM, Awad HA, O'Keefe RJ

PloS one.. 2012 7 (7):e40602. Epub 07/11/2012.

Optimizing the osteogenic potential of adult stem cells for skeletal regeneration.

Lim JY, Loiselle AE, Lee JS, Zhang Y, Salvi JD, Donahue HJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2011 November 29 (11):1627-33. Epub 04/20/2011.

Impact of Smad3 loss of function on scarring and adhesion formation during tendon healing.

Katzel EB, Wolenski M, Loiselle AE, Basile P, Flick LM, Langstein HN, Hilton MJ, Awad HA, Hammert WC, O'Keefe RJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2011 May 29 (5):684-93. Epub 09/14/2010.

TAK1 regulates cartilage and joint development via the MAPK and BMP signaling pathways.

Gunnell LM, Jonason JH, Loiselle AE, Kohn A, Schwarz EM, Hilton MJ, O'Keefe RJ

Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.. 2010 August 25 (8):1784-97. Epub 1900 01 01.

Rescue of impaired fracture healing in COX-2-/- mice via activation of prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 4.

Xie C, Liang B, Xue M, Lin AS, Loiselle A, Schwarz EM, Guldberg RE, O'Keefe RJ, Zhang X

The American journal of pathology.. 2009 August 175 (2):772-85. Epub 07/23/2009.

Remodeling of murine intrasynovial tendon adhesions following injury: MMP and neotendon gene expression.

Loiselle AE, Bragdon GA, Jacobson JA, Hasslund S, Cortes ZE, Schwarz EM, Mitten DJ, Awad HA, O'Keefe RJ

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.. 2009 June 27 (6):833-40. Epub 1900 01 01.

Books

Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (2021)

Chapter: Tendon and Ligament Tissue Engineering

Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism (2018)

Chapter: Skeletal Healing