Department of Pathology
Medical Pathologist, Professor
Expertise
Animal Models of Human Disease | Disease Pathogenesis | Neoplasia Pathology and Pathogenesis
Biography
Research Interests
- Tendon physiology and repair
- Role of growth factors in pituitary function and wound healing
- Biology of transforming growth factor type e and granulins
Dr. Halper’s primary research interest is in the area of growth factors. She has identified and characterized transforming growth factor type e, a member of the granulin family. This growth factor acts as a mitogen for epithelial and fibroblastic cells and promotes skin wound healing. In collaboration with a group at McGill University she has worked on biology of granulins.
Most recently Dr. Halper has been studying multiple aspects of tendon repair and physiology. Her laboratory has been analyzing growth and excercise-induced changes in proteoglycan composition of the avian tendon, and has developed several innovative methods aimed at detection of carbohydrate chains attached to proteoglycans. She has characterized a chronic tendon disorder in horses (so called degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis) as a systemic disease of connective tissues (better named as equine systemic proteoglycan accumulation). Her group has also determined that transforming growth factor ß4 (TGFß4), thought to be an avian isoform of TGFß is actually a chicken form of TGFß1.
Educational Background
- MD (1980) University of Toronto
- PhD (1986) University of Minnesota
- Diplomate, American Board of Pathology
Teaching Experience
- Cell biology
- Carcinogenesis
- Inflammation
- Wound healing
- Physiology of growth factors
Selected Publications
- Halper J. 2010. Growth factors as active participants in carcinogenesis: a perspective. Invited review. Veterinary Pathology 47:77-97.
- Witte SH, Olaifa AK, Lewis AJ, Eggleston RB, Halper J, Kietzmann M, Baeumer W, Mueller POE. 2009. Application of exogenous esterified hyaluronan to equine distal limb wounds. J Equine Vet Science 29:197-205.
- Halper J. 2008. Tendon physiology, biochemistry and function: a lot of work for many players. Current Topics in Biochemical Research 10 (2):1-20.
- Sousa R, Halper J, Zhang J, Lewis SJ, Li WIO. 2008. Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilussupernatants on body weight and leptin expression in rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 8:5.
- Foutz T, Ratterman A, Halper J. 2007. Effects of immobilization on the biomechanical properties of broiler tibia and gastrocnemius tendon. Poultry Science 86:931-936.
- Foutz TL, Griffin AK, Halper JT, Rowland GN. 2007. Effects of increased physical activity on juvenile avian bone. Transactions of the ASABE. 50(1): 213-219.
- Foutz TL, Griffin AK, Halper J, Rowland GN. 2007. Effects of activity on avian gastrocnemius tendon. Poultry Science 86:211-218.
- Halper J, Kim B, Khan A, Yoon JH, Mueller POE. 2006. Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis as a systemic disorder characterized by proteoglycan accumulation. Biomed Central Veterinary Research 2:12.
- Yoon JH, Halper J. 2005. The quantification of chondroitin sulfate by rocket electrophoresis. Anal. Biochem. 344: 158-160.
- Halper J. 2005. The role of granulins in carcinogenesis. Veterinary Cancer Society News 29: 12-14.
- Li WI, Brackett BG, Halper J. 2005. Culture supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus stimulates proliferation of embryonic cells. Exp. Biol. Med. 230: 494-501.
- Halper J, Griffin A, Hu W, Jung C, Zhang J, Pan H, Kisaalita WS, Foutz TL, Frazier KS. 2005. In vitro culture decreases the expression of TGFβ, Hsp47 and type I procollagen and increases the expression of CTGF in avian tendon explants. J. Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions 5:53-63.
- Yoon JH, Halper J. 2005. Tendon proteoglycans: biochemistry and function (perspective). J. Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions 5:22-34.
- Halper J, Burt DW, Romanoff MN. 2004. On reassessment of the chicken TGFB4 gene as TGFB1. Growth Factors 22:121-122.
- Yoon JH, Brooks R Jr, Zhao J-Z, Isaacs D, Halper J. 2004. The effect of the fluoroquinolone enrofloxacin on avian tendon cell cultures. Arch. Toxicol. 78:599-608.
- Yoon JH, Brooks RL Jr, Khan A, Pan H, Bryan J, Zhang J, Budsberg SC, Mueller POE, Halper J. 2004. The effect of enrofloxacin on cell proliferation and proteoglycans in horse tendon cells. Cell Biol. Toxicol. 20:41-54.
- Halper J, Leshin LS, Lewis SJ, Li WI. 2003. Wound healing and angiogenic properties of supernatants from Lactobacillus cultures. Exp. Biol. Med. 228:1329-1337.
- Pan H, Halper J. 2003. Cloning, expression and characterization of chicken transforming growth factor β4. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm.303:24-30.
- Yoon HJ, Brooks R, Kim YH, Terada M, Halper J. 2003. Proteoglycans in chicken gastrocnemius tendons change with exercise. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 412:279-286.
- Pan H, Halper J. 2003. Regulation of heat shock protein 47 and type I procollagen expression in avian tendon cells. Cell Tissue Res. 311:373-382, doi: 10.1007/s00441-003-0699-z
- He Z, Ong C, Halper J, Bateman A. 2003. Progranulin is a mediator of the wound response. Nature Medicine 9: 225-229. doi:10.1038/nm816
- Yoon JH, Brooks R Jr, Halper J. 2002. Immunoblotting assays for keratan sulfate. Anal. Biochem. 306:298-304.
- Daniel R, He Z, Carmichael KP, Halper J, Bateman A. 2000. Cellular localization of gene expression for progranulin. J. Histochem. Cytochem.48:999-1010.
- Additional publications by Dr. Halper may be found at PubMed.
