Musculoskeletal Disease Research Group

Key aims and expertise

The main focus of our research is to investigate:

• The affects of ageing on tissues of the musculoskeletal system
• The regenerative capacity of cells within the musculoskeletal system of different animals
• The role of nutrients, growth factors and hormones in musculoskeletal remodelling
• Mechanisms of mechanotransduction within different musculoskeletal cell types

Current projects

Current projects include research on sarcopenia and muscle regenerative potential from muscle derived stem cells (Prof Paul Loughna), the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis using in vitro models of equine articular cartilage (Prof Paul Loughna), bioinformatics and data-mining (Dr Richard Emes) and the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative disease using a spontaneous mouse model of ataxia (Dr Lisa Chakrabarti) and retinal degeneration (Dr Lisa Chakrabarti, Dr Catrin Rutland).  Studies to investigate lameness in cattle (Prof Jon Huxley) and the role of mechanotransduction in remodelling of musculoskeletal tissues are also being carried out by (Prof Paul Loughna, Dr Cyril Rauch)

Example active projects in musculo-skeletal disease in SVMS:

Title: In vitro models

Significant results

• Hdud I, Mobasheri A and Loughna PT (2014) Effects of Cyclic Equibiaxial Mechanical Stretch on α-BK and TRPV4 Expression in Equine Chondrocytes. Springerplus 2014 Jan 29;3:59. doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-59. 
• Hdud I. and Loughna P.T (2014) Influence of 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1, 25(OH)2D3] on the Expression of TRPV5 and 6 ion channels and Sox 9 in Equine Articular Chondrocytes.  J. Anim. Sci. Technol. 17;56:33.
• Redshaw Z.  Sweetman D and Loughna PT (2014) Altered miRNA expression in muscle stem cells from old pigs correlates with impaired differentiation potential. Differentiation 88(4-5):117-23.
• Hdud I, Mobasheri A and Loughna PT (2014) Effect of osmotic stress on the expression of TRPV4 and BKCa channels and possible interaction with ERK1/2 and p38 in equine chondrocytes. Am J. Physiol. 2014 Jun 1;306(11):C1050-7. 
• Wilkinson, DJ, Hossain, T, Hill, DS, Phillips, BE, Crossland, H, Williams, J, Lougna, P, Churchward-Venne, TA, Breen, L, Phillips, SM, Etheridge, T, Rathmacher, JA, Smith, K, Szewczyk, NJ and Atherton, PJ, 2013. Effects of Leucine and its metabolite, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on human skeletal muscle protein metabolism The Journal of Physiology. 591(11), 2911-2923
• Hdud IM, El-Shafei AA, L P, Barrett-Jolley R and Mobasheri A, 2012. Expression of Transient Receptor Potential Vanailloid (TRPV) Channels in Different Passages of Articular Chondrocytes International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 13, 4433-4445
• Redshaw, Z. and Lougna, PT, 2012. Oxygen concentration modulates the differentiation of muscle stem cells toward myogenic and adipogenic fates Differentiation. 84(2), 193-202
• Tarabees, R., Hill, D., Rauch, C., Barrow, P.A. and Loughna PT, 2011. Endotoxin transiently inhibits protein synthesis through Akt and MAPK mediating pathways in C2C12 myotubes American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology. 301(4), C895-902
• Redshaw, Z, Mcorist, S and Loughna, PT, 2010. Muscle origin of porcine satellite cells affects in vitro differentiation potential. Cell biochemistry and function. 28(5), 403-11
• Atherton, P.J., Szewczyk, N.J., Selby, A., Rankin, D., Hillier, K., Smith, K., Rennie, M.J. and Loughna, P.T., 2009. Cyclic stretch reduces myofibrillar protein synthesis despite increases in FAK and anabolic signalling in L6 cells. The Journal of Physiology. 587(14), 3719-3727