Prize for best talk at the division of trauma and orthopedic surgery away day 2019

In the fourth instalment of our ‘STARSTEM researchers’ series, we reached out to Will Hotham of the University of Cambridge (CAM) to find out more about tracking MSC and extracellular vesicles in large animals.

The University of Cambridge team working on STARSTEM is comprised of researchers from the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery (DTOS) in the Department of Surgery, the Department of Medicine and from the Department of Radiology. The group has an excellent track record in implementing and evaluating novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and in delivering ovine translational model research with many publications in this area.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role in CAM.

I am a PhD student originating from Yorkshire, England and studying at Cambridge University. I have always been inquisitive and enthusiastic about anything I am doing.

In CAM I work on the isolation of bone marrow MSC and extracellular vesicles and attempt to track them in large animals

 

Tell us about your PhD. What is your research question?

My overarching research topic is the effect of bone marrow stem cell derived extracellular vesicles as a treatment for osteoarthritis. In this work I have investigated vesicle characterisation, vesicle uptake and the in vitro effects of vesicles on arthritic chondrocytes and I am about to start work on the tracking of the vesicles in large animals and investigating their effects

Where I seem to spend most of my time…. In the tissue culture hood

 

Why is STARSTEM important to CAM? What unique opportunities does it present?

This cutting edge project continues to show Cambridge University as one of the leading research Universities. It has enabled the collaborations with leading researchers across the globe and enabled the development of such an innovative project.

 

The use of gold nanostars as a contrast agent for imaging has many challenges. What do you see as the major ones?

For me the major challenge will be getting the nanostars into vesicles and also the tracking of the stem cells and vesicles in the large animals as we know very few stem cells will stay in the joint however, to date it is unknown where they go

 

Personally, what has been the best part of working on STARSTEM?

Despite the challenges facing us, the team cohesion and spirit from all collaborators. We know there will be challenges but we are getting through them thanks to the can do attitude from all involved.

 

The PhD students at the plenary meeting in Cambridge

 

Covid-19 has seriously impacted lab life! Tell us about your experiences.

Covid-19 did stop all of our work in the lab. It provided me with a unique opportunity for mid PhD reflection. Even now, working in the lab at 30% occupancy I am having to be very organised with my work and getting all my experiments thoroughly planned out before commencing them. Even when we were allowed back in the lab, it took about one month before the cells were ready to do any experiments on.