Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My research interest is cartilage – often thought of as an inert, gristly material, in reality is a fascinating tissue.
Articular cartilage
Articular cartilage – lines the surface of bones of articulating joints, protecting the underlying bone from the mechanical forces associated with movement and support. Degeneration of articular cartilage results in chronic diseases affecting millions of people in the UK alone, osteoarthritis (OA) being the most common. OA was once thought of as simply a result of wear and tear, but it is now believed the resident cells of cartilage, chondrocytes, play a key role in its initiation and progression. Currently we know little of the disease process, and consequently the treatment options are limited.
Chondrocyte morphology has been observed to change in osteoarthritis cartilage, indicating a shift in cell phenotype. My work with Dr Andrew Hall (University of Edinburgh) has identified an increased number of these cells and their expression of the powerful inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) with the progression of osteoarthritis. Indeed, cell changes have been observed in apparently normal articular cartilage suggesting a role in the initiation of the disease process. Researchers are further investigating this novel observation.
One treatment option for patients suffering from OA is joint resurfacing using osteochondral (bone+cartilage) donor grafts (mosaicplasty). Unfortunately, availability of suitable and safe tissue is limited due to the lack of options for tissue storage. My research group is interested in how to improve upon this, developing novel techniques to allow successful cryopreservation of articular cartilage.
Growth plate cartilage
The growth plate, also known as the epiphyseal plate, is entirely responsible for bone lengthening through childhood and adolescence. It is a fundamental process, driven by the increase in volume of growth plate chondrocytes, but the cellular mechanisms are relatively unknown. I am interested in how these cells increase their size, and what regulates the change in volume.
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcomas are bone cancers which predominantly affect children and adolescents; they typically occur next to the growth plate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs which are an important regulator of gene expression in cells, and may be involved in osteosarcoma. In collaboration with colleagues at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (Dr Sarah Newbury’s group) we are investigating the potential role of the miRNA XRN1.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Aberdeen
1 Aug 1992 → 1 Mar 1997
Award Date: 2 Nov 1997
Bachelor, University of Portsmouth
Sep 1989 → Jun 1992
Award Date: 1 Jul 1992
Keywords
- QP Physiology
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Network
Projects
- 1 Finished
-
ENSOR: Evolving Nanocarbon Strategies in (bio-) Organic Remits
Savina, I., Mikhalovsky, S., Bush, P. & Whitby, R.
1/06/11 → 30/05/14
Project: Research
-
Does the use of online self-marking coursework eLearning tool improve the performance of undergraduate biochemistry module results?
Bush, P., Weeks, S., Brissett, N. & Mackenzie, L. S., 9 Sep 2021.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
-
The effect of hydrostatic pressure on proteoglycan production in articular cartilage in vitro: a meta-analysis
Hodder, E., Guppy, F., Covill, D. & Bush, P., 20 May 2020, In: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 28, 8, p. 1007-1019 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Use of online self-marking coursework tool improves overall performance of first year biochemistry module results
Mackenzie, L. S., Weeks, S. & Bush, P., 10 Jul 2020.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
-
Investigating the effect of sterilisation methods on the physical properties and cytocompatibility of methyl cellulose used in combination with alginate for 3D-bioplotting of chondrocytes
Hodder, E., Duin, S., Kilian, D., Ahlfeld, T., Seidel, J., Nachtigall, C., Bush, P., Covill, D., Gelinsky, M. & Lode, A., 4 Jan 2019, In: Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. 30, 1, 10.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Engineering of TIMP‐3 as a LAP‐fusion protein for targeting to sites of inflammation
Alberts, B., Sacre, S., Bush, P. & Mullen, L., 18 Nov 2018, In: Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile