We are part of 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.

Grant awarded: 2026-2029 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))

We are part of the collaborative MRC funded project at Newcastle University which aims to validate new treatments and generate pre-clinical data on drug repurposing through primary cell work and treatment and deep phenotyping 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 this 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 K Pirog, co-Is: Dr Randa Zoqlam (UCL)

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

Horizon Europe MSCA project CHANGE (Cellular Homeostasis ANd AGing in Connective TissuE Disorders) unites 10 universities and 5 companies across Europe to provide PhD training and knowledge transfer needed to increase our capacity to study molecular pathways, mechanisms and multimorbidities in rare and common musculoskeletal conditions.

Grant awarded: 2022-2026 HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01 CHANGE (101072766; Newcastle PIs – lead PI: Dr Katarzyna Pirog also as work package lead (WP6), co-I: Prof M Briggs)

Main achievements:

• Bouchenafa R, Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Pirog KA. Involvement of kinesins in skeletal dysplasia – a review. 2024 Apr 22. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00613.2023. Online ahead of print.
• Johnson de Sousa Brito FM, Bouchenafa R, Pearson R, Pirog KA. Microtubule-associated motor proteins in skeletal development and health. In: Rossi, A., Zaucke, F. (eds) The Extracellular Matrix in Genetic Skeletal Disorders. Biology of Extracellular Matrix, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70835-0_11

Collaborative networks:

ECMage is a national research network funded in 2022 by the UKRI investigating healthy ageing of extracellular matrix. The ECMage network brings together expertise in key aspects of ageing, matrix biology, chronobiology, computational modelling and tissue engineering across UK to develop novel models to study ECM ageing. We are part of this exciting network which supports connective tissue aging research collaborations across the UK.

CHANGE is an international doctoral training network funded by Horizon Europe as part of the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA). It unites 10 European universities and 5 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with the aim to uncover molecular mechanisms in connective tissue ageing and disease. We are partners in this project, with training exchanges with the University of Padova, University of Pavia and LifeTec Group in Eindhoven.

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 collaborate with LifeTec Group in Eindhoven, to help optimise their ex vivo osteochondral system which they are creating for modelling the osteochondral unit, as well as cartilage ageing and osteochondral defects associated with osteoarthritis. We provide our expertise in stress responses and mechanobiology and hosted one of their engineers in our laboratory in summer 2025.

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 recently started a collaboration with Copner Biotech to explore novel ways of bioprinting layered and zonally stratified cartilage constructs that would facilitate the study of the role of mechanical cues in cartilage development and ageing. In 2026 we will loan one of Copner Biotech’s extrusion bioprinters to test their patented 3D Cell Culture Scaffolds technology that facilitates oxygen and nutrient gradients to maximise cell growth and optimise differentiation.