We are leading Work Package 2 of the PRISM project, the collaborative EPSRC funded project at Newcastle University aiming to develop a smart injectable biomaterial to deliver therapeutic cells to actively repair cartilage by mimicking natural healing processes triggered by movement, delivering local immunomodulatory treatments and stimulating cartilage cells to grow and repair the damaged tissue. Our work package focuses on cartilage mechanoresponses and on mechanomodulation of drug delivery to damaged or diseased cartilage.

Grant awarded: 2026-2030 PRISM: Piezo-Regulated Immunomodulatory Smart Matrix (lead PI: Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte, co-PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog (and work package lead), Prof Catharien Hilkens, Dr Priscila Melo, Prof Matthew Dalby (University of Glasgow), Dr Massimo Vassalli (University of Glasgow), Dr March Birch (Cambridge University))

We are part of the supervisory team for Dr Jack Roberts who has been awarded Vivensa Foundation Early Career Fellowship for his project entitled “Unlocking osteoarthritis: transcriptomic and functional analysis of novel osteoarthritis effector genes”. We will be providing our expertise in cartilage development and deep phenotyping of pre-clinical models of disease. We are looking forward to working with Jack on this exciting project!

Grant awarded: 2026-2029 Unlocking osteoarthritis: transcriptomic and functional analysis of novel osteoarthritis effector genes (lead applicant: Dr Jack Roberts, lead PI: Prof David Young, co-PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, Dr Jamie Soul (University of Liverpool), Dr Emma Blain (Cardiff University)

Our expertise in generation and deep phenotyping of animal models of skeletal disease forms essential part of the collaborative MRC funded project at Newcastle University which aims to validate new therapeutic treatments and generate pre-clinical data on drug repurposing through treatment of three genetically engineered mouse models of skeletal dysplasia.

Grant awarded: 2025-2028 Drug repurposing in skeletal bone diseases (lead PI: Prof Michael Briggs, co-PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, Prof David Young, named PDRA: Dr Ella Dennis)

The JGW Patterson Foundation have kindly sponsored our exciting proof-of-principle research project in which we are planning to optimise several nanoparticle formulations to create a novel drug delivery system for delivery of microRNA and/or siRNA treatments directly to the articular cartilage for therapeutic treatment of osteoarthritis and other cartilage-related conditions.

Grant awarded: 2026-2027 (lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, co-Is: Dr Randa Zoqlam (UCL)

We are sharing our tissue engineering expertise in this exciting project exploring aggregation potential of bovine muscle progenitor cells and possibility of bioreactor scale-up. The work is a collaboration between Newcastle University, the University College London and the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA).

Grant awarded: 2024-2027 (lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, co-I: Dr Leonardo Rios Solis (UCL), Dr Rosario Romero (FERA))

We are hosting the Türkiye Ministry of National Education project in Regenerative Medicine in our laboratory as part of the YLSY scholarship programme awarded to Çağla Erdaş, MD and a PhD candidate in our lab, who is developing “Innovative Biomaterials for Corneal Regeneration: Integrating RGDS Peptides with MMP-Cleavable Motifs”

Grant awarded: 2023-2027 Innovative Biomaterials for Corneal Regeneration: Integrating RGDS Peptides with MMP-Cleavable Motifs (lead applicant: Çağla Erdaş, lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, co-Is: Prof Francisco Figueiredo).

Collaborative networks:

The British Society for Matrix Biology (BSMB) brings together scientists from the UK and the rest of the world with an interest in the extracellular matrix and its associated biology. The BSMB provide a forum for the exchange of ideas within this field and help promote the subject to the public at large. Furthermore, BSMB aim to help develop and nurture younger scientists with an interest in extracellular matrix biology. Dr Pirog is a member of the BSMB Committee and serves in the Committee as Chair of Bursaries.

The vision of the UK Stem Cell Network (UKSCN) is to advance fundamental stem cell science and translation of stem cell-based applications by fostering communication and collaboration between UK scientists, companies, clinicians and regional groups, facilitate and promote the development of emerging clinical trials and other stem cell goals through strategic networking with industry and funders, and grow and connect the UK stem cell community, attracting individuals from other fields to expand interdisciplinary stem cell science. UKSCN aims to develop and share best practises to widen impact.

Industry collaboration:

We are working with Cobo Solutions, a Newcastle University spin-off company focused on molluscan tissue engineering and marine collagen production, and providing our expertise in organoid culture and extracellular matrix biochemistry.

We’re collaborating with Copner Biotech to explore novel ways of bioprinting layered and zonally stratified cartilage constructs to study of the role of mechanical cues in cartilage development and ageing. In 2026-2027 we have loaned one of Copner Biotech’s extrusion bioprinters to optimise our bioprinted cartilage constructs. We will also be testing their patented 3D Cell Culture Scaffolds technology to maximise cell culture growth.