Jurynec Research Group
Human Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Model Organisms
We work to discover and understand the functions of genes underlying the onset and progression of osteoarthritis and other bone and joint diseases. We use a combination of approaches including human genetics, bioinformatics, and model organisms to elucidate the molecular and biological mechanisms that lead to changes in the synovial joint and contribute to the disease phenotype.
Projects
We are interested in the genetics and biology of osteoarthritis
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- Local estradiol deposition in a rat rotator cuff repair model: proof of concept. Chalmers PN, Jurynec MJ, Hickey AM, Fallin TW, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Hotaling JM, Emery B, Tashjian RT. JSES Int. 20254. Article in Press, March 28, 2025.
- Regulation of Chondrocyte Metabolism and Osteoarthritis Development by Sirt5 Through Protein Lysine Malonylation. Liu H, Binoy A, Ren S, Martino TC, Miller AE, Willis CRG, Veerabhadraiah SR, Bons J, Rose JP, Schilling B, Jurynec MJ, Zhu S. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025 Apr 2. doi: 10.1002/art.43164. Online ahead of print.
- Tenascin C deletion impairs tendon healing and functional recovery after rotator cuff repair. Tashjian RZ, Zitnay J, Kazmers NH, Veerabhadraiah SR, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Smith MC, Chalmers PN, Henninger HB, Jurynec MJ. J Orthop Res. 2024 Nov 27. doi: 10.1002/jor.26025. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39601211
- PIEZO1 variants that reduce open channel probability are associated with familial osteoarthritis. Jurynec MJ, Nosyreva E, Thompson D, Munoz C, Novak KA, Matheson DJ, Kazmers NH, Syeda R. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Sep 5:2024.09.03.24312969. doi: 10.1101/2024.09.03.24312969.
PMID: 39281748
- Sirt5 regulates chondrocyte metabolism and osteoarthritis development through protein lysine malonylation. Liu H, Binoy A, Ren S, Martino TC, Miller AE, Willis CRG, Veerabhadraiah SR, Sukul A, Bons J, Rose JP, Schilling B, Jurynec MJ, Zhu S. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Aug. 6:2024.07.23.604872. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.23.604872. PMID: 39091806
- Identification of rare genetic variants for rotator cuff tearing and repair in high-risk pedigrees. Tashjian RZ, Jurynec MJ, Christy K, Teerlink CC, Cannon-Albright L, Allen-Brady C. JSES Int. 2024 Apr 6;8(4):815-821.doi: 10.1016/j.jseint.2024.03.011. eCollection 2024 Jul.
- Estrogen and testosterone supplementation improves tendon healing and functional recovery after rotator cuff repair. Tashjian RZ, Zitnay J, Kazmers NH, Veerabhadraiah SR, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Chalmers PN, Henninger HB, Jurynec MJ. J Orthop Res. 2024 Feb;42(2):259-266. doi: 10.1002/jor.25695. Epub 2023 Oct 8.
- ORS Tendon Section - Tendon Section Membership Committee Pick
- Meta-analysis identifies sequence variants in ALDH1A2, MGP, SPP1 and BMP6 associated with erosive hand osteoarthritis. Styrkarsdottir U, Stefansdottir L, Thorleifsson G, Stefansson OA, Lund SH, Rafnar T, Hoshijima K, Novak KA, Oreiro-Villar N, Rego-Perez I, Hansen C, Kazmers NH, Kiemeney LA, Blanco FJ, Barker T, Kloppenburg M, Jurynec MJ, Gudjartsson DF, Jonsson H, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stefansson K. Ann Rheum Dis. 2023 Mar 17:ard-2022-223468. doi: 10.1136/ard-2022-223468.
- Familial Clustering and Genetic Analysis of Severe Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis in a Large Statewide Cohort. Gavile CM, Kazmers NH, Novak KA, Meeks HD, Yu Z, Thomas JL, Barker T, Jurynec MJ. J Hand Surg Am. 2022 Sep 2;S0363-5023(22)00458-0. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2022.08.004. Online ahead of print.
- Editor's Choice Article and Podcast Interview
- Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 1: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Current Imaging Approaches. Kim J, Amendola A, Baumhauer J, Brodsky JW, Cushman DM, Gonzalez TA, Janisse D, Jurynec MJ, Marsh JM, Sofka CM, Clanton TO, Anderson DD. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2022 Oct 5; 7(4):24730114221127011. doi: 10.1177/24730114221127011. eCollection 2022 Oct.
- Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 2: Treatment Options. Kim J, Amendola A, Baumhauer J, Brodsky JW, Cushman DM, Gonzalez TA, Janisse D, Jurynec MJ, Marsh JM, Sofka CM, Clanton TO, Anderson DD. Foot Ankle Orthop. 2022 Oct 14; 7(4):24730114221127013. doi:10.1177/24730114221127013. eCollection 2022 Oct.
- Current Cellular and Molecular Biology Techniques for the Orthopaedic Surgeon-Scientist. Davies M, Jurynec MJ, Gomez-Alvarado F, Hu D, Feeley SE, Allen-Brady K, Tashjian RZ, Feeley BT. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Online August 18, 2022.
- Supraspinatus Rotator Cuff Repair: A mouse model and technique. Miller M, Kazmers NH, Chalmers PN, Tashjian RZ, Jurynec MJ. Arthrosc Tech. 2021 Jul 13;10(8):e1949-e1954. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2021.04.023. eCollection 2021 Aug.
- The Effect of Estrogen-Like Compound on Rotator Cuff Tendon Healing in a Murine Model.
- Tashjian RZ, Kazmers NH, Epperson RT, Honeggar M, Ma Y, Chalmers PN, Williams DL, Jurynec MJ.
J Orthop Res. 2021 Feb 2. doi: 10.1002/jor.25000. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33533088
- A role for the MEGF6 gene in predisposition to osteoporosis.
- Teerlink CC*, Jurynec MJ*, Hernandez R, Stevens J, Hughes DC, Brunker CP, Rowe K, Grunwald DJ, Facelli JC, Cannon-Albright LA.
- Ann Hum Genet. 2020 Oct 7. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12408. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33026655. *- co-first authors
- Familial clustering of erosive hand osteoarthritis in a large statewide cohort.
Kazmers NH, Meeks HD, Novak KA, Yu Z, Fulde GL, Thomas JL, Barker T, Jurynec MJ - Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020 Sep 17. doi: 10.1002/art.41520. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32940959
- A&R Journal Club selection
- RNA helicase DDX21 mediates nucleotide stress responses in neural crest and melanoma cells.
- Santoriello C, Sporrij A, Yang S, Flynn RA, Henriques T, Dorjsuren B, Custo Greig E, McCall W, Stanhope ME, Fazio M, Superdock M, Lichtig A, Adatto I, Abraham BJ, Kalocsay M, Jurynec M, Zhou Y, Adelman K, Calo E, Zon LI.
- Nat Cell Biol. 2020 Apr;22(4):372-379. doi: 10.1038/s41556-020-0493-0. Epub 2020 Mar 30. PMID: 32231306
- The Paf1 Complex and P-TEFb have reciprocal and antagonist roles in maintaining multipotent neural crest progenitors.
- Jurynec MJ, Bai X, Bisgrove BW, Jackson H, Nechiporuk A, Palu RAS, Grunwald HA, Su YC, Hoshijima K, Yost HJ, Zon LI, Grunwald DJ.
- Development. 2019 Nov 29. pii: dev.180133. doi: 10.1242/dev.180133. [Epub ahead of print}. PMID: 31784460
- Research Highlight
- Evaluation for Kienböck Disease Familial Clustering: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
- Kazmers NH, Yu Z, Barker T, Abraham T, Romero R, Jurynec MJ.
- J Hand Surg Am. 2019 Nov 21. pii: S0363-5023(19)31415-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2019.10.005. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31761504
- Editor's Choice Article
- Highly Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-Based Methods for Generating Deletion Mutations and F0 Embryos that Lack Gene Function in Zebrafish.
- Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Klatt Shaw D, Jacobi AM, Behlke MA, Grunwald DJ.
- Dev Cell. 2019 Dec 2;51(5):645-657.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.10.004. Epub 2019 Nov 7. PMID: 31708433
- A hyperactivating proinflammatory RIPK2 allele associated with early-onset osteoarthritis.
- Jurynec MJ, Sawitzke AD, Beals TC, Redd MJ, Stevens J, Otterud B, Leppert MF, Grunwald DJ.
- Hum Mol Genet. 2018 Jul 1;27(13):2406. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddy196. PMID: 29860498
- Intracellular Calcium Mobilization Is Required for Sonic Hedgehog Signaling.
- Klatt Shaw D, Gunther D, Jurynec MJ, Chagovetz AA, Ritchie E, Grunwald DJ.
- Dev Cell. 2018 May 21;45(4):512-525.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.04.013. Epub 2018 May 10. PMID: 29754802
- A hyperactivating proinflammatory RIPK2 allele associated with early-onset osteoarthritis.
- Jurynec MJ, Sawitzke AD, Beals TC, Redd MJ, Stevens J, Otterud B, Leppert MF, Grunwald DJ.
- Hum Mol Genet. 2018 Jul 1;27(13):2383-2391. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddy132. PMID: 29659823
- Precise genome editing by homologous recombination.
- Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ.
- Methods Cell Biol. 2016;135:121-47. doi: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.04.008. Epub 2016 May 2. PMID: 27443923
- Precise Editing of the Zebrafish Genome Made Simple and Efficient.
- Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ.
- Dev Cell. 2016 Mar 21;36(6):654-67. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.02.015. PMID: 27003937
- Simple methods for generating and detecting locus-specific mutations induced with TALENs in the zebrafish genome.
- Dahlem TJ, Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Gunther D, Starker CG, Locke AS, Weis AM, Voytas DF, Grunwald DJ.
- PLoS Genet. 2012;8(8):e1002861. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002861. Epub 2012 Aug 16. PMID: 22916025
- Hadp1, a newly identified pleckstrin homology domain protein, is required for cardiac contractility in zebrafish.
- Wythe JD, Jurynec MJ, Urness LD, Jones CA, Sabeh MK, Werdich AA, Sato M, Yost HJ, Grunwald DJ, Macrae CA, Li DY.
- Dis Model Mech. 2011 Sep;4(5):607-21. doi: 10.1242/dmm.002204. Epub 2011 May 31. PMID: 21628396
- SHIP2, a factor associated with diet-induced obesity and insulin sensitivity, attenuates FGF signaling in vivo.
- Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ.
- Dis Model Mech. 2010 Nov-Dec;3(11-12):733-42. doi: 10.1242/dmm.000703. Epub 2010 Jul 8. PMID: 20616095
- TIF1gamma controls erythroid cell fate by regulating transcription elongation.
- Bai X, Kim J, Yang Z, Jurynec MJ, Akie TE, Lee J, LeBlanc J, Sessa A, Jiang H, DiBiase A, Zhou Y, Grunwald DJ, Lin S, Cantor AB, Orkin SH, Zon LI.
- Cell. 2010 Jul 9;142(1):133-43. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.05.028. PMID: 20603019
- Selenoprotein N is required for ryanodine receptor calcium release channel activity in human and zebrafish muscle.
- Jurynec MJ, Xia R, Mackrill JJ, Gunther D, Crawford T, Flanigan KM, Abramson JJ, Howard MT, Grunwald DJ.
- Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Aug 26;105(34):12485-90. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0806015105. Epub 2008 Aug 19.
- PMID: 18713863
- SLC24A5, a putative cation exchanger, affects pigmentation in zebrafish and humans.
- Lamason RL, Mohideen MA, Mest JR, Wong AC, Norton HL, Aros MC, Jurynec MJ, Mao X, Humphreville VR, Humbert JE, Sinha S, Moore JL, Jagadeeswaran P, Zhao W, Ning G, Makalowska I, McKeigue PM, O'donnell D, Kittles R, Parra EJ, Mangini NJ, Grunwald DJ, Shriver MD, Canfield VA, Cheng KC.
- Science. 2005 Dec 16;310(5755):1782-6. PMID: 16357253
- Two divergent slit1 genes in zebrafish.
- Hutson LD, Jurynec MJ, Yeo SY, Okamoto H, Chien CB.
- Dev Dyn. 2003 Nov;228(3):358-69. PMID: 14579375
- TIGR is upregulated in the chronic glial scar in response to central nervous system injury and inhibits neurite outgrowth.
- Jurynec MJ, Riley CP, Gupta DK, Nguyen TD, McKeon RJ, Buck CR.
- Mol Cell Neurosci. 2003 May;23(1):69-80. PMID: 12799138
- Increased adenine nucleotide translocator 1 in reactive astrocytes facilitates glutamate transport.
- Buck CR, Jurynec MJ, Gupta DK, Law AK, Bilger J, Wallace DC, McKeon RJ.
- Exp Neurol. 2003 Jun;181(2):149-58. PMID: 12781988
- The chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans neurocan and phosphacan are expressed by reactive astrocytes in the chronic CNS glial scar.
- McKeon RJ, Jurynec MJ, Buck CR.
- J Neurosci. 1999 Dec 15;19(24):10778-88. PMID: 10594061
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- Our latest research, published in the Journal of Orthopedic Research, was selected for the ORS Tendon Publication List as a 'Tendon Section Membership Committee Pick.'
- Drs. Kazmers and Jurynec speak with Dr. Graham for the Journal of Hand Surgery's Monthly podcast about their article, Familial Clustering and Genetic Analysis of Severe Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis in a Large Statewide Cohort.
- The Jurynec Lab was highlighted in the ANRF Chronicle.
Dr. Jurynec was interviewed by Kerry Costello for the Hey OA! podcast. - Our erosive hand hand OA paper published in Arthritis & Rheumatology was highlighted by the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance Newsletter.
- Drs. Kazmers and Jurynec speak with Dr. Graham for the Journal of Hand Surgery's Monthly podcast about their article, Evaluation for Kienböck Disease Familial Clustering: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
- ZEBRAFISH: A GATEWAY TO UNDERSTANDING THE GENETICS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS. Dr. Jurynec discusses how they use zebrafish to study the function of osteoarthritis disease genes.
- Our latest research, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, was highlighted by U of Utah Health.
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2025 ORS
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2025 OARSI
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Families with arthritis - The Osteoarthritis Initiative
Would you and your family like to be part of a project trying to cure arthritis?
YOU’RE INVITED TO BE PART OF A LIFE-CHANGING STUDY
The Jurynec Lab and the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Utah is trying to eliminate arthritis.
We seek people who have severe arthritis with a strong family history. Our study will analyze the genetics of participants and family members to find the cause of arthritis. From those discoveries we will be poised to develop better treatments for this debilitating disease.
If you have any questions, please contact us via email, fill out our eligibility survey, or call/text 385-260-3029.