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Non-clinical Studies

Experimental and Pre-clinical Research Studies

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 publications:

  • Rump L, Mattey DL, Kehoe O, Middleton J. 2017. An initial investigation into endothelial CC chemokine expression in the human rheumatoid synovium. Cytokine, vol. 97, 133-140. link>doi>
  • Kehoe O, Fox J, Middleton J. 2017. Anniversary Collection: 35 Years of STEM CELLS Homing of Mesenchymal Stem Cells An Update to: Concise Review: Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Their Phenotype, Differentiation Capacity, Immunological Features, and Potential for Homing. STEM CELLS.

2) Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, Professor Glenn Morris & Professor Caroline Sewry

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:

  • Humphrey EL, Lacey E, Le LT, Sciandra F, Morris C, Hewitt JE, Holt I, Brancaccio A, Barresi R, Sewry CA, Brown SC, Morris GE. 2014. A new monoclonal antibody against human alpha-dystroglycan has potential diagnostic applications. NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS (vol. 24, p. 918). link> doi>
  • Duong NT, Morris GE, Lam LT, Zhang Q, Sewry CA, Shanahan CM, Holt I. 2014. Nesprins: tissue-specific expression of epsilon and other short isoforms. PLoS One, vol. 9(4), e94380. link>doi>

 3) Cartilage repair research group, Professor James Richardson & Professor Sally Roberts

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. GARCIA J, MENNAN C, MCCARTHY HS, ROBERTS S, RICHARDSON JB, WRIGHT KT (2016) Chondrogenic Potency Analyses of Donor-Matched Chondrocytes and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow, Infrapatellar Fat Pad, and Subcutaneous Fat. Stem Cells International, Article ID 6969726; doi:10.1155/2016/6969726.


2. SHARMA A, ROBERTS S, KUIPER NJ (2016) A case study: Glycosaminoglycan profiles of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) tissue improve as the tissue matures. The Knee. In Press
 

3. MENNAN C, BROWN S, MCCARTHY H, MAVROGONATOU E, KLETSAS D, GARCIA J, BALAIN B, RICHARDSON J, ROBERTS S (2016) Characterisation and immunomodulatory properties of MSC derived from whole human umbilical cord, Wharton’s jelly and Bone Marrow. FEBS Open Bio (In Press)

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:

Carmont MR, Kuiper JH, Grävare Silbernagel K, Karlsson J, Nilsson-Helander K. 2017. Tendon end separation with loading in an Achilles tendon repair model: comparison of non-absorbable vs. absorbable sutures. J Exp Orthop, vol. 4(1), 26. link> doi>

Dugard MN, Kuiper JH, Parker J, Roberts S, Robinson E, Harrison P, Richardson JB. 2017. Development of a Tool to Predict Outcome of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation. Cartilage, vol. 8(2), 119-130. link> doi>

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:

  • Metcalfe AJ, Stewart CJ, Postans NJ, Biggs PR, Whatling GM, Holt CA, Roberts AP. 2017. Abnormal loading and functional deficits are present in both limbs before and after unilateral knee arthroplasty. Gait Posture, vol. 55, 109-115. link> doi>
  • McFall J, Stewart C, Kidgell V, Postans N, Jarvis S, Freeman R, Roberts A. 2015. Changes in gait which occur before and during the adolescent growth spurt in children treated by selective dorsal rhizotomy. Gait Posture, vol. 42(3), 317-322. link> doi>

More information on the work and research of ORLAU can be found on their webpages.

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