ISTM

In 2001 I obtained a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences with professional experience from Salford University. I commenced my PhD studies at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry in 2005, and in 2009, was awarded my PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Keele University. Since then I have been employed as a Research Fellow/Associate of the Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, Keele University based at the RJAH Hospital, Oswestry.

RESEARCH

Biology & pathology of musculoskeletal disorders and spinal cord injury

Cell-based therapies for the repair of musculoskeletal and spinal cord tissues

Bone marrow and umbilical cord derived stem cell biology (mesenchymal and hematopoietic)

PUBLICATIONS

• Wright KT, El Masri W, Osman A, Chowdhury J, Johnson WEB. Bone marrow for the treatment of spinal cord injury: mechanisms and clinical application. (2011) Stem Cells, Volume 29, 169-178.
• Wright KT, Seabright RJ, Logan A, Lilly AJ, Khanim F, Bunce CM, Johnson WEB. Extracellular Nm23H1 stimulates neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglia neurons in vitro independently of nerve growth factor supplementation or its nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity. (2010). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Volume 398, 79-85.
• Walter MN, Wright KT, Fuller HR, MacNeil S, Johnson WEB. Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium accelerates skin wound healing: an in vitro study of fibroblast and keratinocyte scratch assays. (2010) Experimental Cell Research, Volume 316, Number 7; 1271-1281.

• Wright KT, Griffiths G, Johnson WEB. A comparison of industrial high content analysis versus research-based manual analysis to assay the effects of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium on neurite outgrowth in vitro. (2010) Journal of Biomolecular Screening, Volume 15, Issue 5; 576-582.
• Bajada S, Marshall MJ, Wright KT, Richardson JB, Johnson WEB. Decreased osteogenesis, increased cell senescence and elevated dickkopf-1 secretion in human fracture non union stromal cells. (2009) Bone. Volume 45, Issue 4; 726-735.
• Wright KT, Griffiths G, Johnson WEB. A comparison of industrial high content analyses versus research lab-based methods to assay the effects of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium on neurite outgrowth in vitro. Abstract (2009) Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Volume 23, Number 9, Page 984.
• Chamberlain G, Wright KT, Rot A, Ashton BA, Middleton J. Murine mesenchymal stem cells exhibit a restricted repertoire of functional chemokine receptors: comparison with human. (2008) PLoS ONE, Volume 3; 1-6.
• Wright KT, El Masri W, Osman A, Roberts S, Trivedi J, Ashton BA, Johnson WEB. The cell culture expansion of bone marrow stromal cells from humans with spinal cord injury: implications for future cell transplantation therapy. (2008) Spinal Cord, Volume 46; 811-817.
• Wright KT, El Masri W, Osman A, Roberts S, Ashton BA, Johnson WEB. Bone marrow stromal cells stimulate neurite outgrowth over neural proteoglycans (CSPG), myelin associated glycoprotein and Nogo-A. (2007) Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Volume 354; 559-566.
• Wright KT, Khanim F, Bunce CM, Johnson WEB. The nucleoside diphosphatase kinase, nm23H1, is expressed by human bone marrow stromal cells and stimulates and directs neurite outgrowth in vitro. Abstract (2007) Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Volume 21, Number 6, Page 62.
• Johnson WEB, Sivan S, Wright KT, Eisenstein SM, Maroudas A, Roberts S. Human intevertebral disc cells promote nerve growth over substrata of human intevertebral disc aggrecan. (2006) Spine, Volume 31, Number 11; 1106-1114.
• Wright KT, El Masri W, Osman A, Roberts S, Ashton BA, Johnson WEB. Marrow stromal cells from spinal cord injured patients promote nerve growth and reduce the inhibitory effects of chondroitin sulphated proteoglycans in vitro. Abstract (2006) Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, Volume 29, Number 3, Page 270.

 OTHER INFORMATION

Collaborators:

• Prof Sally Roberts

          Director of Spinal Research

          RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital

• Prof James Richardson

         Professor of Orthopaedic and Traumatic Surgery

         RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital

• Dr Eustace Johnson

      Senior Lecturer

      Life and Health Sciences

      Aston University

• Dr Gareth Griffiths

      Director of Science

      Imagenbiotech

      University of Manchester

• Mr Wagih S El Masry

      Consultant Surgeon in Spinal Injuries

      Director, Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries

      President

      International Spinal Cord Society (ISCOS)

      RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital

• Mr Aheed Osman

      Consultant Surgeon in Spinal Injuries

      Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries

      RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital

• Mr J Roy Chowdhury

      Consultant in Spinal Injuries & Rehabilitation Medicine

      Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries

      RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital