Honey Hendesi, MD, PhD

Professional Titles

• Instructor

Research Interests

My primary research interests center on understanding how dietary interventions and the gut microbiome influence musculoskeletal health, with a particular emphasis on bone homeostasis and fracture healing. I have a longstanding commitment to orthopedic research, with expertise in bone and cartilage physiology and pathology complemented by a background in clinical medicine. My overarching goal is to identify beneficial gut microbial species and microbiome-derived metabolites that can improve musculoskeletal health and mitigate common orthopedic pathologies, and to translate these discoveries into novel, effective non-pharmacological strategies for promoting bone health and tissue repair.

Publications

• Hendesi H, Villani DA, Prawitt J, Gill AL, Abdo Z, Santangelo KS, Pezzanite L, Gill SR, Zuscik MJ. Gut and Joint Microbiomes: Implications in Osteoarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2025 May;51(2):295-324. PubMed PMID: 40246442
• Hendesi H, Godfrey DA, Ferreira Ruble A, Tran AM, Villani DA, Landgrave SH, Hasan NA, Adams DJ, Zuscik MJ. 2025. Intermittent fasting alleviates obesity-associated impairments in bone fracture healing: Exploring the role of gut microbiome. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bonr.2025.101876
• Hendesi H, Stewart S, Gibison ML, Guehring H, Richardson DW, Dodge GR. Recombinant fibroblast growth factor-18 (sprifermin) enhances microfracture-induced cartilage healing. J Orthop Res. 2022 Mar;40(3):553-564. PubMed PMID: 33934397
• DePhillipo NN, Hendesi H, Aman ZS, Lind DRG, Smith J, Dodge GR. Preclinical Use of FGF-18 Augmentation for Improving Cartilage Healing Following Surgical Repair: A Systematic Review. Cartilage. 2022 Dec 21;:19476035221142010. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36541606
• Hendesi H, Stewart S, Gibison ML, Guehring H, Richardson DW, Dodge GR. Recombinant fibroblast growth factor-18 (sprifermin) enhances microfracture-induced cartilage healing. J Orthop Res. 2021 May 2:10.1002/jor.25063. doi: 10.1002/jor.25063. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33934397; PMCID: PMC8560655.
• Favazzo LJ, Hendesi H, Villani DA, Soniwala S, Dar QA, Schott EM, Gill SR, Zuscik MJ. The gut microbiome-joint connection: implications in osteoarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2020 Jan;32(1):92-101. PubMed PMID: 31724973
• Tarr JT, Visser TG, Moon JE, Hendesi H, Barbe MF, Bradley JP, Popoff SN. The pivotal role of CCN2 in mammalian palatogenesis. J Cell Commun Signal. 2017 Mar;11(1):25-37. PubMed PMID: 27761803
• Hendesi H, Barbe MF, Safadi FF, Monroy MA, Popoff SN. Integrin mediated adhesion of osteoblasts to connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) induces cytoskeleton reorganization and cell differentiation. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0115325. PubMed PMID: 25714841

Professional Memberships

• Orthopedic Research Society, Member
• American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Member
• International Section of Fracture Repair (ORS), Member