Mairead Hyland ( Three Minute Thesis )
School of Medicine
An investigation into the therapeutic properties of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell derived extracellular vesicles
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term debilitating condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints . Existing drug-based treatments are often limited by potential side effects . Stem cells contained within umbilical cord , called mesenchymal stem cells , can help reduce swelling / inflammation and lower the immune response , and can be used as a treatment . Research shown that umbilical cord stem cells reduce inflammation by releasing components such as extracellular vesicles ( EVs ) which are tiny particles with role in transporting messages between cells . The conditions that cells experience during growth affect the properties of the EVs they produce . My thesis looks at growing these cells in different environments to discover which growth environment creates the most superior and therapeutic EVs . The therapeutic potential of EVs will be then tested using blood from rheumatoid arthritis patients . This is exciting as the identification of therapeutic EVs may be used to treat antiinflammatory conditions in the future .
Postgraduate Conference 2020 Page 26