Programme Related News
Student project leads to 150,000 grant from Arthritis Research UK
Confocal microscopy image of a cartilage cell showing the primary cilium (green), nucleus (blue) and actin cytoskeleton (red)
Friday 20th January 2012
Research conducted by one of last years students on the Biomedical Engineering degree programme at Queen Mary University of London has led to a major new research grant funded by the charity Arthritis Research UK. Ayleen Ofosu-Adjei investigated the influence of inflammatory cytokines on the cytoskeletal structure known as the primary cilium. Inflammatory cytokines, as found in osteoarthritc joints, led to changes in the structure of primary cilia which may be critical in the aetiology of arthritis. Ayleen's research was part of pilot studies which led to the successful award of a two and a half year research grant to examine the role of primary cilia in arthritis. This exciting research may open up the way to new treatments for the painful condition of arthritis.
Ayleen conducted her research project under the supervision of Dr Martin Knight within the Bioengineering and Materials research group in the School of Engineering and Materials at QMUL. Read more about this and other research projects on primary cilia on Dr Knight's web pages http://www.sems.qmul.ac.uk/staff/research.php?uid=51