We are pleased to announce we have been awarded the NC3Rs/BBSRC Business Interaction Voucher Award

Musculoskeletal news

“Business Interaction Vouchers support strategic R&D partnerships between businesses and academic researchers, helping to catalyse the development of tools, technologies, and methodologies that reduce reliance of the use of animals in research, whilst also advancing capabilities that could one day be more powerful than current animal models. This new strategic portfolio of projects supported across the NC3Rs networks, through joint investment with BBSRC, covers a broad and exciting range of new 3Rs innovations which will drive innovation across the sector.” 

– Dr Lee Beniston FRSB, Associate Director for Industry Partnerships and Collaborative Research and Development, BBSRC

Our exciting project in collaboration with Copner Biotech and with researchers from across Newcastle and Northumbria Universities combines expertise in biosciences, engineering, and advanced materials. The team will use advanced bioprinting technologies to generate cartilage-like structures for investigating the biological mechanisms involved in cartilage development, ageing and disease. Using Copner Biotech’s next generation 3D modelling software and bioprinting platform, the team will combine a variety of bioinks to produce constructs with defined microarchitectures. The developed in vitro models will be compared against existing data from human samples and animal studies to assess the physiological relevance and suitability for safety testing of senolytic (i.e. those that selectively induce the death of senescent cells) drugs used to treat osteoarthritis.

For more information on our project and on other projects in the cohort, please visit: https://nc3rs.org.uk/news/bridging-gap-new-funding-academic-industry-partnerships-between-nc3rs-network-members

Celebrating spring and recent SRG successes

Fun, Musculoskeletal news

We went out for the Skeletal Research Group (SRG) drinks and a PI curry yesterday to celebrate the coming of spring and the recent SRG successes, including

Several publications:

  • Machine learning based prioritisation of genes associated with osteoarthritis joint damage in animals. Soul J, Young DA. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2026 Mar;34(3):475-483. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2026.01.002.
  • Chromatin accessibility in MSC chondrogenesis, adult hip cartilage chondrocytes and osteoarthritis. Barter MJ, Soul J, Cheung K, Falk J, Putri K, Farrier AJ, Panagiotopoulos A, Deehan DJ, Reynard LN, Young DA. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2026 Mar;34(3):417-431. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2025.12.015.
  • Transcriptomic profiling confirms microRNA-140 is more functional in joint development than in disease. Hao Y, Lin H, Soul J, Overman LM, Lisgo SN, Coxhead J, Piróg KA, Clark IM, Barter MJ, Reynard LN, Young DA. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2026 Mar;34(3):405-416. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2025.11.005.
  • Elevated MMP9 Expression-A Potential In Vitro Biomarker for COMPopathies. Dietmar HF, Dennis EP, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Reynard LN, Young DA, Briggs MD. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Dec 15;26(24):12070. doi: 10.3390/ijms262412070.

Grant funding:

  • 2026-2029 Dr Jack Roberts provisional acceptance to the Vivensa Early Postdoctoral Fellowship (supervised by Prof David Young, Dr Katarzyna Pirog, Dr Emma Blain (Cardiff University), Dr Jamie Soul (University of Liverpool))
  • 2026-2029 EPSRC PRISM: Piezo-Regulated Immunomodulatory Smart Matrix (lead PI: Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte, co-PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, Prof Catharien Hilkens, Dr Priscila Melo, Prof Matthew Dalby (University of Glasgow), Dr Massimo Vassalli (University of Glasgow), Dr March Birch (Cambridge University))
  • 2026-2027 JGW Patterson Foundation Nanoparticle delivery system (lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, co-Is: Dr Randa Zoqlam (UCL))
  • 2026 NC3Rs/BBSRC Business Interaction Voucher (lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog, co-Is: Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte, Dr James Henstock (Northumbria University))
  • 2026 Doctoral College Award for Maria Lazari to attend the Matrix biology Europe meeting in June 2026, and to visit Dr Leo Solis’s lab to optimised her organoid culture system for bioreactor scale-up
  • 2026 BSMB Bursary Award to Roufaida Bouchenafa to attend the German Society for Matrix Biology (DMB) meeting in Heidelberg in April 2026, and to Cagla Erdas to attend the MBE in June 2026

Well done everyone!!!

Genetics Matters 2026

Genetics Matters, Musculoskeletal news

Our annual Genetics Matters Rare Disease Day event was a great success!

We have met with 110 people at the Great North Museum: Hancock on the 28th of February, discussed novel treatments for rare diseases, the need for more equity for rare disease patients, and shared our discoveries and projects to advance rare disease research and improve lives of patients with rare diseases.

We received great feedback, with participants asking to be involved in several research activities, requests for more public lectures, and requests for school visits and work experience placements. Thank you to all the scientists, presenters and participants for attending Genetics matters 2026. We really enjoyed it, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone next year!

Only 4 days left to the 10th edition of Genetics Matters!

Events, Genetics Matters

Genetics Matters flyers 2015-2026.

Time really flies!

This year marks the 10th edition of our popular Genetics Matters – a Rare Disease Day event. Over the years we have chatted to over 900 people, exhibited work by 20+ genetic and rare disease laboratories, interacted with multiple charities and patient organisations and worked tirelessly to raise awareness of rare diseases and rare disease research in the North East.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone at the Great North Museum: Hancock this Saturday at 10am. There will be presentations, debates, hands on experiments, microscopes, activities, enthusiastic scientists, free lunch, and some yummy cake.

Event agenda

09:30-10:10 Arrival and tea/coffee

10:10-10:15 Welcome – Kasia Pirog

10:15-10:30 Introduction to the rare disease landscape at Newcastle – John Sayer

10:30-10:50 Jordi Diaz-Manera: Presenting the MyoGuide – a resource to advance diagnosis and research in neuromuscular diseases

10:50-11:10 Sophie Hambleton: What are ‘Advanced Therapies’ and what hope do they offer for people living with a rare disease?

11:10-11:30 Annette Pantall: A patient’s perspective on the importance of genetics and novel therapies

11:30-11:50 Carly Nicklin: Anthony Nolan, a pioneering UK charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders by managing a stem cell donor register

11:50-12:30 Debate: How do we get more treatments to the people who need them? In the absence of medicines and cures for many conditions, how do we help patients live their best lives? How do we address inequities for people living with a rare disease?

12:30-13:00 Lunch (buffet)

13:00-15:00 Round tables (lab demos, hands on activities, approx. 10-15 min per table)

  • rare skin conditions & microbiology,
  • chondrodysplasias & connective tissue engineering,
  • neuromuscular disorders,
  • Human Developmental Biology Resource (HDBR),
  • cystic fibrosis research,
  • blood marrow donation matching,
  • rare eye diseases and eye organoids,
  • inborn errors of immunity,
  • rare kidney disease,
  • NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation

CHANGE annual meeting in Padova

Conferences, Fun, Musculoskeletal news

The final CHANGE MSCA DN meeting took place in Padova last week. It was great to see how far our students have advanced their research and how they developed into mature scientists driving their own program of research and building their own networks.

We are very proud of you all!

Thank you to Prof Paolo Bonaldo, Prof Paola Braghetta and Prof Matilde Cescon for organising a great meeting and looking after us all.

It is sad that this consortium is coming to an end but we hope to continue working with our European colleagues. We will eagerly follow the development of our DCs, and hope that they will be the next generation of matrix biologists leading the field in the future.

Registration is open for Genetics Matters 2026

Events, Genetics Matters, Musculoskeletal news

Registration for our annual #GeneticsMatters Rare Disease Day patient and public information day is now open. Join us for interesting presentations and hands-on demonstrations, meet the scientists, and find out more about rare disease research at Newcastle University and The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The event is FREE to attend and refreshments will be provided. To register, click: https://lnkd.in/eSSbGNSD

Merry Christmas from the Skeletal Research Group

Fun, Musculoskeletal news

We had our joint Briggs, Pirog, Reynard, Rice and Young groups Christmas meal yesterday in the wonderful My Delhi, and celebrated working together and the many dissertation, publication and grant successes of 2025. It has been a really productive year!

We’d like to wish all our friends and collaborators a wonderful festive break. We are looking forward to more exciting science, meetings and outputs next year!

Paper alert!

Musculoskeletal news, Publications

Our new collaborative paper detailing the role of mir140 in joint development has just been published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. This work was performed by Dr Yao Hao during his PhD candidature in the Skeletal Research group at Newcastle University.

Congratulations Yao!