Published: 25 Aug 2017 | Last Updated: 25 Aug 2017 15:41:52

Dr Isabel Orriss, Dr Gill Holdsworth (UCB Pharma) and Prof Tim Arnett (UCL) have been awarded an industrial CASE PhD studentship by the BBSRC-funded London Interdisciplinary Doctoral (LIDo) Programme.  This collaboration between academia and industry will investigate:  Modulation of exosome release and composition by environmental stress: what is the impact on bone remodelling?

Exosomes are small particles that are released from cells and represent one of the ways in which cells communicate.  In recent years it has become evident that exosomes can control the function of cells within bone: however, their exact role is not well understood.  Furthermore, exosomes have been implicated in the development of several common skeletal disorders such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which are chronic degenerative problems of ageing.  The aim of this interdisciplinary PhD studentship is to study how exosomes regulate bone cell function under normal conditions.  It will also examine how stress conditions (such as low oxygen) which can occur in disease influence this exosome-mediated cell-to-cell communication. Improved understanding of the role of exosomes in bone may provide important insights into how common skeletal disorders develop.