SUMMARY
Shane A. Shapiro, M.D., is dedicated to advancing the science of orthopedics and regenerative medicine through research. He is an early adopter of orthobiologic therapies, which are biological substances intended to treat or cure orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, he is the principal investigator of the world's first randomized controlled study of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMAC) to treat knee arthritis.
Early in his career, Dr. Shapiro worked in the laboratory of Dr. Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the Human Genome Project. Now, Dr. Shapiro's research focus is to study novel regenerative techniques for chronic nonhealing bone, joint, muscle, tendon and skin maladies that are not candidates for conventional surgical management. Examples include cell therapies for arthritis, platelet-rich plasma injections for chronic tendinopathies and the use of living, cell-based biological applications for chronic nonhealing wounds.
Focus areas
- Sponsor investigator and manufacturer for nine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug (IND) applications for cell therapy products currently used in human clinical trials. As medical director for the Regenerative Medicine Suites associated with the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Shapiro has broadened the scope of his research to forge collaborations between medical specialties. These partnerships have resulted in the following projects:
- Biologic therapies to treat male- and female-pattern baldness led by Alison J. Bruce, M.B., Ch.B.
- Autologous serum eye drops to treat dry eye disease
- Stromal vascular cells to treat vocal cord scarring
- Ethical considerations of regenerative therapies. Dr. Shapiro studies the ethical issues surrounding the responsible translation of regenerative therapies into routine medical practice.
- Patient perceptions of novel regenerative therapies. Dr. Shapiro conducts research in partnership with Zubin Master, Ph.D., and Jennifer R. Arthurs, APRN, to understand how patients use scientific evidence to make decisions regarding regenerative medicine therapy.
Significance to patient care
Regenerative medicine therapies hold the promise to repair, replace or restore tissues and organs injured by trauma and disease. The strategies and techniques used in the discovery and translation of these therapies into medical practice share a common thread. They aim to mobilize the body's ability to heal and repair tissue where previously it had failed to do so. They form the foundation for the future of cell-based therapies for orthopedic diseases.
Professional highlights
- Chair, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine's Regenerative Medicine Sub-Committee, 2021-present
- Board of directors, Biologic Association, 2020-present
- Founding member, Florida Organization for Regenerative Medicine, 2019-present
- Registered in musculoskeletal sonography (RMSK), American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), 2013
- Sports Medicine, Certificate of Added Qualification, American Board of Family Medicine, 2005
- Pre-Doctoral Intramural Research Training Award, Human Genome Project, National Center for Human Genome Research, National Institutes of Health, 1996-1997