Professor
Program Director, Anatomy Graduate Program
Program Director, Master of Medical Science

Division of Human Anatomy
Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy
School of Medicine
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350
U.S.A

Phone: 909-558-4656
Fax: 909-558-7950
E-mail: kwright@llu.edu

Profile Photo

Research Interest

I am interested in regulation of the bone remodeling cycle, and specifically in osteoclast function and regulation.  I have also recently become involved with endodontics research.

Previous Research Activities

  • Effects of calcium deficiency and repletion on osteoclast populations
  • Development of in vivo models of osteoclast apoptosis
  • Evaluation of tumors for apoptosis following various treatments
  • Care and treatment of rodents, perfusion, tissue processing, embedding, sectioning staining, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, histomorphometric analysis
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Effects of dietary sucrose and carbamoyl phosphate on bone density and morphometry

Selected Publications

  1. Wright KR, Rice, DD, Luo Z. Anatomical Zones in Endodontic Surgery. 2017. In:  M. Torabinejad and R. Rubinstein (eds.). The Art and Science of Contemporary Surgical Endodontics. Quintessence Publishing, Hanover Park, IL.
  2. Wright KR. Histology of Tissues Involved in Surgical Endodontics. 2017. In:  M. Torabinejad and R. Rubinstein (eds.). The Art and Science of Contemporary Surgical Endodontics. Quintessence Publishing, Hanover Park, IL.
  3. Torabinejad M, Moazami M, Hawkins J, Gustefson C, Faras H, Moaddel H, Wright K, Shabahang S. Effect of MTA particle size on periapical healing. Int Endod J. 2017 Dec;50 Suppl 2:e3-e8. doi: 10.1111/iej.12738. Epub 2017 Feb 9.
  4. Torabinejad M, Milan M, Shabahang S, Wright KR, Faras H. Histologic examination of teeth with necrotic pulps and periapical lesions treated with 2 scaffolds: an animal investigation. J Endod. 2015 Jun;41(6):846-52. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2015.01.026. Epub 2015 Mar 6.
  5. Mahmoud Torabinejad, Hadi Faras, Robert Corr, Kenneth R Wright, Shahrokh Shabahang. Histologic examinations of teeth treated with 2 scaffolds: a pilot animal investigation. Journal of endodontics 04/2014; 40(4):515-20.
  6. Torabinejad M, Corr R, Buhrley M, Wright K, Shabahang S. 2011. An animal model to study regenerative endodontics. J Endod. 2011 Feb;37(2):197-202.
  7. Andelin WE, Shabahang S, Wright K, Torabinejad M.  2003.  Identification of hard tissue after experimental pulp capping using dentin sialoprotein (DSP) as a marker.  J Endod. 2003 Oct;29(10):646-50.
  8. Boyce BF, Hughes DE, Wright KR, Xing L, Dai A.  1999. Recent advances in bone biology provide insight into the pathogenesis of bone diseases.  Lab Invest 79:83-943
  9. Linkhart TA, Linkhart SG, Kodama Y, Farley JR, Dimai HP, Wright KR, Wergedal JE, Sheng M, Beamer WG, Donahue LR, Rosen, CJ, Baylink DJ.  1999. Osteoclast formation in bone marrow cultures from two strains of mice with different bone densities.  Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 14:39-46
  10. Boyce BF, Hughes DE, Wright KR, Xing L, Dai A. 1998.  Apoptosis in Bone Cells.  Ernst Schering Research Foundation workshop 25, Novel Approaches to Treatment of Osteoporosis, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
  11. Boyce BF, Hughes DE, Wright KR.  Methods for studying cell death in bone. 1998.  In: Arnett T and Henderson B (eds), Methods in bone biology, Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
  12. Gridley DS, Archambeau JO, Andres MA, Mao XW, Wright K, Slater JM.  Tumor necrosis factor-a enhances antitumor effects of radiation against glioma xenografts.  Oncology Research 9:217-227, 1997.
  13. Boyce BF, Wright KR, Reddy SV, Koop BA, Leach RJ, Roodman GD, Windle JJ.  Targeting SV40 T‑Antigen to the Osteoclast in Transgenic Mice Causes Osteopetrosis, Transformation and Apoptosis of Osteoclasts.  Endocrinology 136:5751-5759, 1995.
  14. Sasaki A, Boyce BF, Story B, Wright KR, Chapman M, Boyce R, Mundy GR, Yoneda T.  Bisphosphonate Risedronate Reduces Metastatic Human Breast Cancer Burden in Bone in Nude Mice.  Cancer Research 55:3551‑3557, 1995.
  15. Mundy GR, Boyce B, Hughes D, Wright K, Bonewald L, Dallas S, Harris S, Ghosh-Choudhury N, Chen D, Dunstan C, Izbicka E, Yoneda T.  The Effects of Cytokines and Growth Factors on Osteoblastic Cells.  Bone   17:71S-75S, 1995.
  16. Hughes DE, Wright KR, Uy HL, Sasaki A, Yoneda T, Roodman GD, Mundy GR, Boyce BF.  Bisphosphonates Promote Apoptosis in Murine Osteoclasts In Vitro and In Vivo.  Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 10:1478‑1487, 1995.
  17. Wright KR and McMillan PJ. Osteoclast recruitment and Modulation by Calcium Deficiency, Fasting and Calcium Supplementation in the Rat.  Calcified Tissue International 54:62‑68, 1994.