Novel Therapeutics:
Molecular Therapeutics for Heterotopic Ossification
Benjamin Levi, M.D.
- Professor, Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- Dr. Lee Hudson-Robert R. Penn Chair in Surgery
- Division Chief of Burn,Trauma, Acute and Critical Care Surgery
Dr. Benjamin Levi’s team is advancing molecular therapeutics for heterotopic ossification, a debilitating condition in which bone forM.S. in soft tissues after trauma or surgery and can severely restrict mobility. Their work shows that early post-injury cues can misdirect local progenitor cells into an abnormal cartilage-to-bone program, creating a window for prevention and disease modification. One strategy targets nerve-driven signaling that promotes HO (including the NGF/Trk axis), with the goal of blocking ectopic bone formation while also addressing post-surgical pain. A second strategy leverages lymphatic biology (including VEGF-family signaling) to reshape the local tissue environment and enable resorption of established HO. Together, these complementary approaches define a clinically oriented pipeline that aiM.S. to preserve function and range of motion through precise, mechanism-based interventions.
