Dr. Rabie Shanti holds a dual appointment in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Penn Dental Medicine, and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Penn Medicine. Dr. Shanti sees patients at Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he focuses on the evaluation and surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, such as, benign tumors of the jaws (e.g., ameloblastoma, myxoma), malignant tumors of the jaws (e.g., osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma), oral (mouth) cancer, and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. Dr. Shanti frequently evaluates and manages advanced inflammatory conditions of the jaws, such as, osteoradionecrosis, and medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Dr. Shanti’s clinical practice is also devoted to microvascular reconstructive surgery of the head and neck following oncologic surgery, radiation injury, or trauma. As an active head and neck surgeon in the Center for Head and Neck Cancer at the Abramson Cancer Center, Dr. Shanti works side by side with his colleagues from otorhinolaryngology/head and neck surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, oral medicine, maxillofacial prosthodontics, pathology, speech-language pathology, nutrition, nursing, social work, and appropriate surgical subspecialties to provide his patients with patient-centered care aimed at optimizing disease control while providing the highest level of aesthetic/functional outcomes.
An extension of Dr. Shanti’s clinical interest in functional rehabilitation surgery through the utilization of reconstructive microsurgical techniques has been regenerative medicine. Dr. Shanti is currently investigating the potential of mesenchymal stem cells in tongue tissue engineering, as well as, the engineering of other orofacial tissues. This work is in collaboration with investigators from Penn Dental Medicine and Penn Medicine. Dr. Shanti also has a special interest in rare pathology of the head and neck, in investigating the pathogenesis of benign tumors and cysts of the jaw (i.e., ameloblastoma, odontogenic keratocyst, ossifying fibroma), and rare malignant tumors of the oral cavity (i.e., carcinosarcoma, osteosarcoma). Dr. Shanti has also been involved in investigative studies looking at complex infections of the head and neck (e.g., deep neck infections, osteomyelitis of the jaws) and for this work he was the co-recipient of the Daniel M. Laskin Award for the "most outstanding article published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2006."
GRANTS
Project title: Stromal cell-derived IL-6 promotes epithelial tumor stem-like cell generation by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in ameloblastoma
Sponsoring Program: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation Research Support Grant
Project title: Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived IL-6 facilitate EMT process and acquisition of stem-like cell properties in ameloblastoma epithelial cells
Sponsoring Program: Schoenleber Pilot Grant, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Selected Publications
Cannady SB, Mady LJ, Brody RM, Shimunov D, Newman JG, Chalian AC, Rajasekaran KA, Sheth NP, Shanti RM: Anterolateral thigh osteomyocutaneous flap in head and neck: lessons learned. Microsurgery 42(2): 117-124, Feb 2022.
Graillon N, Iocca O, Carey RM, Benjamin K, Cannady SB, Hartner L, Newman JG, Rajasekaran K, Brant JA, Shanti RM: What Has the National Cancer Database (NCDB) Taught Us About Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma? Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 51(1): 10-17, Jan 2022.
Kaleem A, Melville J, Tursun R, Shanti RM: Comprehensive oromandibular reconstruction utilizing an anterolateral thigh free tissue transfer flap and tissue engineering: technical and timing considerations. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 79(11): 2350-2354, Nov 2021.
Shanti RM, Wang T, Markiewicz M, Panchal N, Salman SO, Le AD: Reducing socioeconomic disparities in access to dental rehabilitation using endosseous implants in patients after undergoing removal of benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity and jaws
J Oral Maxillofac Surg 79(11): 2186-2188, Nov 2021.
Zhang Q, Nguyen P, Burrell JC, Zeng J, Shi S, Shanti RM, Kulischak G, Cullen DK, Le AD: Harnessing 3D collagen hydrogel-directed conversion of human GMSCs into SCP-like cells to generate functionalized nerve conduits. NPJ Regenerative Medicine(6), 59, Sep 2021.
Civantos AM, Viswanathan S, Prasad A, Maldonado ST, Brody RM, Cannady SB, Newman JG, Shanti RM, Brant JA, Rajasekaran K: Role of elective neck dissection and adjuvant radiation therapy in patients with polymorphous adenocarcinoma. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology 278(9): 3459-3466, Sep 2021.
Tasche K, Rajasekaran K, Cannady SB, Chalian AA, Newman J, Shanti R, Brody R: The Incidence and Characteristics of Alternative Reconstructive Procedures in Planned Free Flap Surgery. American Head & Neck Society 10th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer Jul 2021 Notes: Virtual Conference.
Tasche K, Rajasekaran K, Cannady SB, Chalian AA, Newman J, Shanti R, Brody R: The Impact of Departmental Expansion of Microvascular Reconstruction on Free Flap Rate and Volume. American Head & Neck Society 10th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer Jul 2021 Notes: Virtual Conference.
Mohiuddin JJ, Shanti RM, Alawi F, Chang BM, Marcel J, Taunk NK, Lukens JN: High-dose-rate brachytherapy for primary treatment of refractory proliferative verrucous leukoplakia of the hard palate. Cureus 13(6): e15696, Jun 2021.
Behtaj M, Alawi F, Shanti RM, Cannady S, Zhang PJ, Modi M, Lamzabi I: Report of a rare case of spindle cell ameloblastic carcinoma and the diagnostic utility of immunohistochemistry. Applied Immunohistochemistry & Molecular Morphology 29(5): 394-400, May-Jun 2021.
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Last updated: 04/01/2022
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