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John Arnott

Chair, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Department of Medical Education
Research & Scholarship
North Campus

LOCATION(S)
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Medical Sciences Building
525 Pine St.
Office 3032
Scranton, PA 18509
570-504-9066
Fax: 570-504-9639
jarnott@som.geisinger.edu

John Arnott, PhD

Research interests

John Arnott, PhD, received his PhD in anatomy and cell biology and previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia. His research focuses on understanding the signaling mechanisms in osteoblasts that are important for bone formation and fracture repair. 

Osteoporosis is a major health care problem since approximately 10 million people over the age of 50 have been diagnosed with the disease and 33.6 million more are estimated to have low bone mass (osteopenia). Low bone mass is accompanied by an increased incidence of fracture, and it is estimated that the direct healthcare costs from fractures related to osteopenia (hospitalizations, ER visits, physician visits, etc.) ranges from $12-$18 billion annually. Our research focuses on understanding the regulation of skeletal development and the molecular mechanisms that control bone formation. Osteoblasts are highly differentiated, biosynthetic cells that form bone through secretion of an extracellular matrix (e.g. collagen, fibronectin) that becomes progressively mineralized to form mature bone tissue. Osteoblast growth, biosynthetic activity and differentiation are initiated and tightly regulated by systemic and locally produced growth factors. Currently, our research is focused on characterizing how the novel bone growth factor, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2), regulates osteoblast differentiation and function. We are also working on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that control CTGF expression in osteoblasts, particularly its regulation by other bone growth factors. Developing an understanding of the growth control mechanisms in osteoblasts, and particularly the identification and characterization of the mechanisms of that regulate osteoblast differentiation and function, may help identify new therapeutic targets to enhance bone formation in patients with clinically significant bone loss.

Our research is supported by a grant from National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Read more details of the grant.

Student research opportunities

Dr. John Arnott’s research focuses on regulation of skeletal development and the molecular mechanisms that control bone formation.

Currently, we are:

  • Characterizing how the novel bone growth factor, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2), regulates osteoblast differentiation and function
  • Working on identifying druggable targets that control CTGF expression in osteoblasts, particularly its regulation by other bone growth factors
  • Developing an understanding of the growth control mechanisms in bone, and the identification and characterization of the mechanisms that regulate osteoblast differentiation and function

Our goal is to help identify new therapeutic targets to enhance bone formation in patients with clinically significant bone loss.

Recent publications

  • Cho, Y., Silverstein, R., Geisinger, M., Martinkovich, S., Cunnick, J., Planey, SL., Arnott, JA. AFAP1 is a novel downstream mediator of TGF-β1 for CCN2 induction in osteoblasts. PlosOne. 2015. [in press]
  • Chavda B, Arnott JA, Planey SL. Targeting protein palmitoylation: selective inhibitors and implications in disease. Expert Opin Drug Discov. 2014 Sep;9(9):1005-19. doi: 10.1517/17460441.2014.933802. Epub 2014 Jun 26. Full Text
  • Martinkovich S, Darshan, S, Planey SL, Arnott JA, Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators: tissue specificity and clinical utility. Clinical Interventions in Aging 2014:9 1437–1452.
  • Planey SL, Kumar R, and Arnott JA. Posttranslational modification of transcription factors: mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions. Curr Mol Pharmacol, Mar 7, 2014. PMID: 24694345
  • Planey SL, Kumar R, Arnott JA. Estrogen Receptors (ERα vs. ERβ): Friends or Foes in Human Biology? Journal of Receptors and Signaling Transduction. 2013, Journal of Receptors and Signaling Transduction. Nov 2013, doi:10.3109/10799893.2013.853188
  • Arnott JA, Kumar R, and Planey SL. Lipophilicity Indices for Drug Development. Journal of Applied Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics. 2013.1(3):31-36.
  • Arnott JA and Planey SL. The influence of lipophilicity in drug discovery and design. Expert Opin Drug Discovery, (Sep. 2012), doi 10.1517/17460441.2012.714363, ISSN:1746-045X. Full Text
  • Geisinger MT, Astaiza R, Butler T, Popoff SN, Planey SL, Arnott JA. Ets-1 is essential for connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) induction by TGF-B1 in osteoblasts. PLoS ONE, (Apr 2012), 10.1371/journal.pone.0035258. Full Text
  • Matika C, Wasilewski M, Arnott JA, Planey SL. Antiproliferative factor regulates connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) expression in bladder carcinoma cells. Mol Biol Cell, (March 2012). Full Text
  • Geisinger MT, Astaiza R, Butler T, Reham S, Popoff SN, Planey SL, Arnott JA. CTGF/CCN2 is a downstream target gene of Ets-1 in osteoblasts. J. Orthop Surg and Sports Med, (2012), 7(1)56-62.
  • Khan S, Arnott JA, and Kumar R. Naturally occurring osmolyte, trehalose induces a functionally active conformation in an intrinsically disordered transactivation function domain (AF1) of the Glucocorticoid Receptor. (E-Pub May 2011). Full Text
  • Arnott JA, Lambi AG, Mundy C, Hendesi H, Pixley R, Owen T, Safadi FF, Popoff SN. The Role of Connective Tissue Growth Factor in Skeletogenesis. (E-Pub April 2011). Full Text
  • Arnott JA, Reham S, Delong WG Jr, Sanjay A, Safadi FF, Popoff SN, Src is a major signaling component for CTGF induction by TGF-beta1 in osteoblasts. J Cell Physiol:2010 Apr 28. Full Text
  • Zhang X, Arnott JA, Rehman S, Delong WG Jr, Sanjay A, Safadi FF, Popoff SN. 2010. Src is a major signaling component for CTGF induction by TGF-beta1 in osteoblasts. J Cell Physiol. 2010 Sep; 224(3):691-701. Full Text
  • Arnott JA, Zhang X, Sanjay A, Owen TA, Smock SL, Reham S, Delong WG, Safadi FF, Popoff SN. 2008. Molecular requirements for CTGF induction by TGF-beta1 in primary osteoblasts. Bone. 2008 Jan 26. (E-Pub Date). Full Text
  • Arnott JA, Nuglozeh E, Rico M, Arango-Hisijara I, Odgren PR, Safadi FF, Popoff SN. 2007. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is a downstream mediator forTGF-beta1 induced extracellular matrix production in osteoblasts. J Cell Physiol. 2007 Mar; 210(3):843-52
  • Chung SW, Arnott JA, Yang Y, Wong PM. 2003. Presence of prepackaged mRNA in virions of DNA adenovirus. J Biol Chem. Dec 12; 278(50):50635-40. Full Text

Education

Bachelor – The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
PhD – Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
Postdoctoral – Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
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