Non-Clinical Studies
Experimental and pre-clinical research dtudies
Experimental pre-clinical research can be further sub-divided according to Research Group.
A selection of the work being carried out by each group is provided below. More information can be found on the Orthopaedic Institute website.
1) Rheumatology Research Laboratory, Dr Oksana Kehoe
Research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis progression and possible treatments including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
Selected recent publications:
1: Makos A, Kuiper JH, Kehoe O, Amarasena R. Psoriatic arthritis: review of
potential biomarkers predicting response to TNF inhibitors.
Inflammopharmacology. 2023 Feb;31(1):77-87. doi: 10.1007/s10787-022-01092-x.
Epub 2022 Dec 12. PMID: 36508130; PMCID: PMC9957889.
2: Whittall C, Kehoe O, King S, Rot A, Patterson A, Middleton J. A chemokine
self-presentation mechanism involving formation of endothelial surface
microstructures. J Immunol. 2013 Feb 15;190(4):1725-36. doi:
10.4049/jimmunol.1200867. Epub 2013 Jan 16. PMID: 23325889; PMCID: PMC3672850.
3: Hyland M, Mennan C, Wilson E, Clayton A, Kehoe O. Pro-Inflammatory Priming of
Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Alters the Protein Cargo of Their
Extracellular Vesicles. Cells. 2020 Mar 16;9(3):726. doi: 10.3390/cells9030726.
PMID: 32188006; PMCID: PMC7140705.
2) Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, Dr Heidi Fuller and Dr Ian Holt
Current research is centred on finding treatments for muscular dystrophies. The team produce novel monoclonal antibodies as reagents for diagnosis and monitoring of clinical trials of new drugs for these inherited disorders. More recently, they have used proteomic methods (mass spectrometry) to identify new targets for drug development. They also run the international Monoclonal Antibody Resource, funded by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (USA).
Selected publications:
1: Storey EC, Holt I, Morris GE, Fuller HR. Muscle cell differentiation and
development pathway defects in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscul
Disord. 2020 Jun;30(6):443-456. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2020.04.002. Epub 2020 May
11. PMID: 32522500.
2: Hulme CH, Fuller HR, Riddell J, Shirran SL, Botting CH, Osman A, Wright KT.
Investigation of the blood proteome in response to spinal cord injury in rodent
models. Spinal Cord. 2022 Apr;60(4):320-325. doi: 10.1038/s41393-021-00692-8.
Epub 2021 Oct 2. PMID: 34601498; PMCID: PMC8989679.
3: Storey EC, Fuller HR. Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Human Diseases
Caused by Mutations of LINC Complex-Associated Genes: A Systematic Review and
Meta-Summary. Cells. 2022 Dec 15;11(24):4065. doi: 10.3390/cells11244065. PMID:
36552829; PMCID: PMC9777268.
3) Cartilage repair research group, Professor Martyn Snow & Professor Karina Wright
Laboratory research is ongoing to understand the biology and behaviour of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) from different sources e.g. bone marrow and umbilical cord, and how the cells may be important for treating patients with different root causes of osteoarthritis or with different stages of the disease.
Selected publications:
1: Hulme CH, Garcia JK, Mennan C, Perry J, Roberts S, Norris K, Baird D, Rix L,
Banerjee R, Meyer C, Wright KT. The Upscale Manufacture of Chondrocytes for
Allogeneic Cartilage Therapies. Tissue Eng Part C Methods. 2023
Sep;29(9):424-437. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEC.2023.0037. PMID: 37395490; PMCID:
PMC10517319.
2: Hulme CH, Mennan C, McCarthy HS, Davies R, Lan T, Rix L, Perry J, Wright K. A
comprehensive review of quantum bioreactor cell manufacture: Research and
clinical applications. Cytotherapy. 2023 Oct;25(10):1017-1026. doi:
10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.04.004. Epub 2023 May 9. PMID: 37162433.
3: Hulme CH, Peffers MJ, Roberts S, Gallacher P, Jermin P, Wright KT. Proteomic
Analyses of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Plasma Highlight Cartilage
Acidic Protein 1 as a Candidate for Preclinical Screening. Am J Sports Med. 2023
May;51(6):1422-1433. doi: 10.1177/03635465231156616. Epub 2023 Apr 11. PMID:
37039559; PMCID: PMC10155277.
4: Wang J, Roberts S, Li W, Wright K. Phenotypic characterization of regional
human meniscus progenitor cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Oct
19;10:1003966. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1003966. PMID: 36338137; PMCID:
PMC9629835.
4) Biomechanics and Orthopaedic Interventions, Dr Jan Herman Kuiper
Research into a the most effective suture material for surgical repair of Achilles tendon rupture, and mathematical modelling of healing cartilage defects.
Selected publications:
1: Okoro T, Wan M, Mukabeta TD, Malev E, Gross M, Williams C, Manjra M, Kuiper
JH, Murnaghan J. Assessment of the effectiveness of weight-adjusted antibiotic
administration, for reduced duration, in surgical prophylaxis of primary hip and
knee arthroplasty. World J Orthop. 2024 Feb 18;15(2):170-179. doi:
10.5312/wjo.v15.i2.170. PMID: 38464351; PMCID: PMC10921182.
2: Chatterton BD, Kuiper JH, Williams DP. Circumferential Periosteal Release to
Treat Paediatric Leg Length Discrepancy: Medium Term Outcomes. Strategies Trauma
Limb Reconstr. 2023 May-Aug;18(2):67-72. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10080-1591.
PMID: 37942428; PMCID: PMC10628615.
3: Perry J, Kuiper JH, McCarthy HS, Jermin P, Gallacher PD, Tins B, Roberts S.
Comparison of Knee Articular Cartilage Defect Size Between Measurements Obtained
on Preoperative MRI Versus During Arthrotomy. Orthop J Sports Med. 2023 Sep
6;11(9):23259671231193380. doi: 10.1177/23259671231193380. PMID: 37693808;
PMCID: PMC10483978.
4: Snow M, Kuiper JH, Thimmegowda A, Ramsingh V, Haikal M, Amit P. Midterm
outcome of superior capsular reconstruction using doubled acellular human dermal
allograft for irreparable rotator cuff tear. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024
Jan;33(1):38-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.06.007. Epub 2023 Jul 13. PMID:
37453693.
5) Spinal Studies, Professor Sally Roberts
Laboratory research into structures found on vertebrate cells called primary cilia, and their role in arthritis and degeneration of the intervertebral disc and the causes of back pain. Also, to identify biomarkers from bloods of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients that will predict their outcome neurology. Any such biomarker could then be used to enhance current treatments and rehabilitation regimes to ensure that these patients achieve their best potential clinical outcome
Selected publications:
1. TURNER SA, WRIGHT K, JONES P, BALAIN B, ROBERTS S (2016) Temporal analyses of the response of intervertebral disc cells and mesenchymal stem cells to nutrient deprivation. Stem Cells Int Volume 2016 (2016), Article ID 5415901 http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5415901
2. TURNER S, BALAIN B, CATERSON B, MORGAN C, ROBERTS S. (2014) Viability, growth kinetics and stem cell markers of single and clustered cells in human intervertebral discs: implications for regenerative therapies. Eur Spine J; 23(11):2462-2472 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-014-3500-y
6) The Orthotic Research & Locomotor Assessment Unit (ORLAU), Mr Andrew Roberts, Dr Caroline Stewart
ORLAU conducts a range of projects including researching and developing engineering solutions for mobility impairment, and musculoskeletal modelling work.
Selected publications:
1: Faux-Nightingale A, Kelemen M, Lilley S, Robinson K, Stewart C. Hospital
corridors as lived spaces: The reconfiguration of social boundaries during the
early stages of the Covid pandemic. Sociol Health Illn. 2024 Apr 15. doi:
10.1111/1467-9566.13777. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38619094.
2: Stebbins J, Harrington M, Stewart C. Clinical gait analysis 1973-2023:
Evaluating progress to guide the future. J Biomech. 2023 Oct 10;160:111827. doi:
10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111827. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37844470.
3: Philp F, Freeman R, Stewart C. An international survey mapping practice and
barriers for upper-limb assessments in movement analysis. Gait Posture. 2022
Jul;96:93-101. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2022.05.018. Epub 2022 May 20. PMID:
35623317.
4: Mennan C, Hopkins T, Channon A, Elliott M, Johnstone B, Kadir T, Loughlin J,
Peffers M, Pitsillides A, Sofat N, Stewart C, Watt FE, Zeggini E, Holt C,
Roberts S; OATech Network+ Consortium. The use of technology in the
subcategorisation of osteoarthritis: a Delphi study approach. Osteoarthr Cartil
Open. 2020 Jun 9;2(3):100081. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2020.100081. PMID: 36474678;
PMCID: PMC9718088.
More information on the work and research of ORLAU can be found on their webpages.