Ewch i’r prif gynnwys
Deborah Mason

Yr Athro Deborah Mason

Athro, Ysgol y Biowyddorau; Cyfarwyddwr Ymchwil Cyn-Glinigol

Ysgol y Biowyddorau

Email
MasonDJ@caerdydd.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 74561
Campuses
Adeilad Syr Martin Evans, Ystafell Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, Rhodfa'r Amgueddfa, Caerdydd, CF10 3AX
Users
Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig

Trosolwyg

I am Co Principal Investigator of the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre in Cardiff University, where I lead the Preclinical Research Programme investigating the interaction between biomechanics and biology in joint tissues. I have established a platform of cell, animal and human models to investigate how mechanical load regulates joint pathology. My research elucidates new signalling mechanisms that regulate bone and cartilage turnover, to provide therapeutic and diagnostic targets for musculoskeletal diseases. This has led to the discovery of functional glutamatergic signalling in joint tissues, and revealed new pathways that mediate cytokine- and mechanically- induced cartilage degradation. My research focuses on translating glutamate receptor antagonists as a treatment for osteoarthritis, identifying mechanically-regulated biomarkers and developing a joint mimetic for drug screening.

I have led over 35 research projects (>£8M external funding, recently funded by Wellcome Trust, NC3Rs, Life Sciences Bridging Fund, MRC Confidence in Concept, Arthritis Research UK), invented patents and collaborate with academics, NHS clinicians and industry. I currently serve on Orthopaedic Research Society Programme Committee.

Roles

  • Module Leader BI3351 Contemporary Topics in Disease

Interested in joining my lab as a self-funded post-graduate student or a postdoc/fellow? Please contact me by email.

Cyhoeddiad

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Articles

Conferences

Ymchwil

My research elucidates new signalling mechanisms that regulate bone and cartilage turnover, to provide therapeutic and diagnostic targets for osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This has led to the discovery of functional glutamatergic signalling in bone and synovium, and revealed new pathways that mediate cytokine- and mechanically- induced cartilage degradation. As a Team Leader in the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre, I direct research investigating the links between pain, inflammation and pathology in human arthritis. We have developed a range of protocols and cell, explant, animal and human models to investigate how altered joint biomechanics influences biological signals.

Current research

  • Modulation of glutamatergic signalling to enhance bone formation and inhibit pathological changes in arthritis.
  • Delineating the role of Protein Kinase R in arthritis.
  • Linking biological signals to joint loading and pathology in human arthritis.
  • Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to identify complex patterns of biomarkers to stratify patients with arthritis or joint pathology.
  • Developing a novel, mechanically-loaded 3D co-culture system to investigate osteocyte control of osteoblasts

Glutamate Signalling

My work implicating the glutamate transporter GLAST-1 in mechanotransduction, and identifying glutamate as a potential anabolic target in bone is leading to new strategies for increasing bone formation. Our discovery that glutamate signalling mediates pathological responses in inflammatory arthritis, and that specific glutamate receptors are expressed in human inflammatory and osteoarthritis, reveals a therapeutic opportunity whereby joint destruction and pain could be prevented using specific glutamate receptor antagonists. http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130814/Osteoarthritis-research-an-interview-with-Dr-Deborah-Mason-Cardiff-University.aspx

  1. Cleo S Bonnet 1, Anwen S Williams 2, Sophie J Gilbert 1, Ann K Harvey 3, Bronwen A Evans 4, and Deborah J Mason AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors contribute to inflammation, degeneration and pain related behaviour in inflammatory stages of arthritis. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases - under review.
  2. Brakspear KS and Mason DJ (2012) Glutamate signaling in bone. Front. Endocrin. 3:97.
  3. Flood S, Parri R, Williams A, Duance V and Mason DJ (2007) Modulation of interleukin-6 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes by functional ionotropic glutamate receptors. Arthritis and Rheumatism 56(8): 2523-2534.
  4. Mason DJ (2004) The role of glutamate transporters in bone cell signalling. Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions 4:128-131.
  5. Mason DJ (2004) Glutamate Signalling and its Potential Application to Tissue  Engineering of bone. European Cells and Materials 7:12-26.
  6. Mason DJ and Huggett JF (2002) Glutamate Transporters in Bone Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions 2 (5): 406-414
  7. Huggett JF, Mustafa A, O'Neal L and Mason DJ (2002) The glutamate transporter GLAST-1 (EAAT-1) is expressed in the plasma membrane of osteocytes and is responsive to extracellular glutamate concentration. Biochem Soc Trans 30:890-893.
  8. Skerry T, Genever P, Taylor A, Dobson K, Mason D , Suva L. (2001) Letters to the Editor: Absence of Evidence is not evidence of absence. The shortcomings of the GLAST knockout mouse. JBMR 16 (9):1729-1730.
  9. Huggett J, Vaughan-Thomas A, Mason DJ (2000) The open reading frame of the Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporter GLAST-1 is expressed in bone and a splice variant of this molecule is expressed in bone and brain. FEBS Lett 485(1):13-18.
  10. Mason DJ, Suva LJ, Genever PG, Patton AJ, Steuckle S, Hillam RA, and Skerry TM (1997). Mechanically-regulated expression of a neural glutamate transporter in bone.  A role for excitatory amino acids as osteotropic agents? Bone 20 (3):199-20.

PKR and ceramide in arthritis

Protein Kinase R (PKR) mediates stress and viral responses. We reported that PKR is activated in osteoarthritis and demonstrated that PKR mediates cytokine -induced degradation of cartilage. We have also shown that ceramide, a cytokine induced second messenger, influences cartilage matrix homeostasis via ERK signalling. P58IPK inhibits PKR and PERK and knockouts of this, where PKR and PERK are overactivated, have joint degeneration that resembles osteoarthritis. These new mechanisms of cytokine mediated cartilage degradation, relevant to both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, may be targeted in treatment or diagnosis of arthritis.

  1. Gilbert SJ, Meakin LB, Nowell MA, Bonnet CS, Ladiges WC, Morton J, Duance VC and Mason DJ. Deletion of P58IPK, the cellular inhibitor of the protein kinases PKR and PERK, causes bone changes and joint degeneration in mice. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage – under review.
  2. Gilbert SJ, Blain EJ, Vaughan-Thomas A, Duance VC and Mason DJ (2012) Protein kinase R plays a pivotal role in the oncostatin M and interleukin-1 signalling in bovine articular cartilage chondrocytes. European Cells and Materials, 23:41-57.
  3. Gilbert SJ, Blain EJ, Duance VC and Mason DJ (2008) Sphingomyelinase decreases type II collagen expression in bovine articular chondrocytes via the ERK signalling pathway. Arthritis and Rheumatism 58:209-220.
  4. Gilbert SJ, Blain EJ, Jones P, Duance VC, Mason DJ (2006) Exogenous sphingomyelinase increases collagen and sulphated glycosaminoglycan production by primary articular chondrocytes: an in vitro study. Arthritis Research and Therapy 8(4):R89
  5. Gilbert SJ, Duance VC and Mason DJ (2006) Protein Kinase R: A novel mediator of articular cartilage degradation in arthritis. Current Rheumatology Reviews 2(1):9-21.
  6. Gilbert SJ, Duance VC, Mason DJ (2004) Does PKR mediate TNF alpha and ceramide induced increases in expression and activation of MMPs in articular cartilage by a novel mechanism? Arthritis Res Ther 6:46-55.
  7. Gilbert SJ, Duance VC and Mason DJ (2002) Tumour necrosis factor a up-regulates protein kinase R (PKR)-activating protein (PACT) and increases phosphorylation of PKR and eukaryotic initiation factor 2-a in articular chondrocytes. Biochem Soc Trans 30:886-9.

Biomechanics

Mechanical loading is a potent stimulus regulating both formation and degradation of bone and cartilage. Our studies on the effects of mechanical loading in bone and cartilage have implicated glutamatergic signalling, degradative enzymes, and the cytoskeleton in mechanotransduction. Recently, award of the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre has allowed us to investigate the molecular signals underlying joint loading, pain and inflammation in humans with osteoarthritis or joint injury.

  1. JB Catterall, S Dewitt, DJ Mason, Wilson C, K Fagerlund, JM Halleen, B Caterson. CTx-II is a marker of cartilage destruction and reflects cartilage metabolism. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage - under review
  2. D J Mason, 1K Brakspear, 2C Wilson, 2R Williams, 2R S Kotwal (2010). Glutamate, a signal that links mechanical loading, pain and pathology in human arthritis. Invited paper, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Porto. ISBN: 978-9562121-0-8.

Research Funding 2008-2012 (from £12M total grant funding)

Wilde (Avanticell Science Ltd), Evans BA and Mason DJ (Cardiff University) (2013-2014) A Cell-Based Analysis Platform to Screen Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods against Osteoporosis TSB £99,889

Mason DJ, Bonnet CS, Williams AS and Walsh D (2013-2016) Investigating the mechanism of the protective role of glutamate receptor antagonists in osteoarthritis. Arthritis Research UK £200,000

John A and Mason DJ (Mentor) (2012-2015)AHSC Clinical Research Time Competition. Investigate biological mechanisms and biomarkers underlying early events in adverse reactions to MoM hip implants, NISCHR £70,762

John A and Mason DJ (2012-2015) MD Investigate biological mechanisms and biomarkers underlying early events in adverse reactions to MoM hip implants, Self-funded £8,000

Nowell M, Mason DJ, Aeschlimann D, Evans B, Choy E. (2012) 384-capacity Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) facility. Arthritis Research UK, £ 131,115

Mason DJ andHuggett JF. (2010-2014) PhD sudentship: Development and evaluation of new standardisation methods for RNA measurement in connective tissue diseases. LGC , £84,000

Evans B, Mason DJ, Sloan A, Ralphs, Gregory. Hadwen Trust (2010- 2012) Development of new methodologies for the 3-D in vitro study of bone disease £83,000

Duance, Mason, Holt, Evans, Riccardi, Denyer, Jones, Williams, Evans, Aeschlimann, Van Deursen and Wise. Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre. Arthritis Research UK 2009-2014, £2.5M, matched with £7.5M from Cardiff University.

Mason DJ, Evans BAE, Riccardi, (2009-2013) PhD sudentship: Investigating the roles of adenosine, glutamate and calcium signalling in mechanically-induced bone formation. Cardiff University, £84,000

Evans BAE and Mason DJ (2010-2014) PhD sudentship: Investigating the response to load of human osteocytes from different anatomical sites in health and disease, Cardiff University, £84,000

Mason DJ, Roberts H, Paisey S, Wilson C, Fairhurst S, Bagley M, Jones G. Using NMR for synovial fluid biomarkers. Cardiff and Vale Orthopaedics Centre,Dept Orthopaedics and School of Physics, Cardiff University (2009 – 2013) £20,000

Mason DJ and Parsons P, Modulating glutamate transporters for fracture repair. BBSRC CASE with Smith and Nephew as industrial partner, 2007-2010, £77,000.

Collaborators

External

  • Prof David Walsh (Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre, Nottingham).
  • Dr Lee Meakin (Bristol University)
  • Prof Ladiges and Dr John Morton (Dept Comparative Medicine, University of Washington)
  • Dr Jim Huggett (Nucleic Acid Metrology Molecular & Cell Biology LGC, Middlesex)
  • Prof Mark Bagley (University of Sussex)
  • Prof Chris Wilson (Consultant Orthopaedic Knee surgeon in Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust)
  • Mr Alun John (Consultant Orthopaedic hip surgeon in Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust)

Cardiff University

  • School of Engineering: Dr Cathy Holt, Prof Sam Evans, Dr Gemma Whatling
  • School of Medicine: Dr Bronwen Evans, Dr Anwen Williams, Dr Ann Harvey
  • School of Physics: Dr Stephen Fairhurst
  • School of Healthcare Studies:  Dr Val Sparkes, Dr Nicky Phillips
  • School of Dentistry: Dr Alistair Sloan, Dr Sharon Dewitt
  • School of Biosciences: Prof Victor Duance, Dr Sophie Gilbert, Professor Daniela Riccardi and Dr Jim Ralphs

Current research group members

Post Doctoral research associates

PhD students

  • Ahmed Almansour

Addysgu

I am an enthusiastic and effective lecturer contributing to a range of teaching activities (tutorials, lectures, workshops, practical, projects) across various levels and Degree Schemes (BSc: Biomolecular, Biomedical, Medical, Dental; MSc). I adapt my methods according to student feedback, peer assessment and student achievement. As Level 1 Co-ordinator for Biochemistry Degree Schemes, Molecular Biology Degree Scheme Co-ordinator and Final Year Tutor for all Biomolecular Schemes I have made major contributions to management, teaching, course design and administration. 

I currently Lead the final year Contemporary Topics in Disease Module, where cutting edge research in the School of Biosciences demonstrates how research can reveal pathological mechanisms and identify and test new treatments across a wide range of diseases.

Bywgraffiad

After my BSc in Zoology and Genetics (1986) and my PhD in Evolutionary Genetics (1991) in Cardiff, I worked briefly in Medical Genetics at the University Hospital of Wales before moving to Bristol University. My research in Bristol revealed osteocyte gene expression in vivo and implicated glutamatergic signalling in mechanically-induced bone formation. Since my appointment as Lecturer in Cardiff University in 1996 (Senior Lecturer in 2009, Reader in 2012), I have investigated the role of glutamate transporters in bone, revealed a pathological role for glutamate in arthritis, and identified new pathways of cytokine- and mechanically- induced cartilage degradation involving PKR, ceramide and the cytoskeleton. I have secured over £12M of research funding for 30 projects. I co-ordinated Cardiff’s bid for the Arthritis Research UK-funded Centre of Excellence in Biomechanics and Bioengineering, where I act as a manager, and as the Biomechanics, Inflammation and Pain Team Leader.  I have served on the Bone Research Society and the British Orthopaedic Research Committees. I have supervised 11 PhD/MD students and teach undergraduate students, co-ordinating the Molecular Biology Degree Scheme in Cardiff and acting as final year tutor for all Biomolecular Degree Schemes. I regularly contribute to public engagement activities with school children, patients and fundraisers.

Meysydd goruchwyliaeth

I am interested in supervising students in the areas of:

  • developing new preventative treatments for osteoarthritis
  • early diagnosis of osteoarthritis
  • cell models for drug screening