Professor Francesco Dell'AccioProfessor of Musculoskeletal Regenerative Medicine & RheumatologyCentre: Experimental Medicine & RheumatologyEmail: f.dellaccio@qmul.ac.ukTelephone: +44(0) 20 7882 8204Twitter: @TheReGenLabProfileResearchKey PublicationsSponsorsCollaboratorsNewsProfileORCID iD: 0000-0003-4137-3770 Professor Dell’Accio is a clinical rheumatologist and a scientist whose interest is focused on regenerative medicine and osteoarthritis. He characterized the molecular cascade activated by injury to the articular cartilage and, starting from this screening, has identified several therapeutic targets that, in animal models, result in disease modification in osteoarthritis and in cartilage regeneration. The ultimate goal of his research is to develop pharmacological interventions to restore cartilage integrity and reduce pain in osteoarthritis and cartilage defects.ResearchGroup members Senior members: Prof Shafaq Sikandar (Senior Lecturer); Dr Suzanne Eldridge (Lecturer) Junior members: Dr Anne-Sophie Thorup; Dr Magdalena Kaneva; Mr Jacob Wilson (Technician); Dr Manasi Sayilakshmy (Research Assistant); Dr Sara Caxaria (post-doc); Ms Petek Celik, (Research Assistant); Dr Alice Fuller, (Post-doc). PhD students: Ms Aida Barawi (PhD student); Ms Sabah Bharde (PhD student); Ms Melody Deniz (PhD student); Dr Brian Herath (Clinical PhD Fellow) Alumni: Dr Suzanne Eldridge; Dr Noha Eltawil; Dr Giovanna Nalesso; Professor Jessica Bertrand; Dr Joanna Sherwood; Dr Bethan Thomas; Dr Blandine Poulet Summary Professor Dell’Accio and his group investigate the molecular mechanisms that underpin the healing of skeletal tissues, and in particular to cartilage, with the ultimate aim of identifying possible therapeutic intervention to promote cartilage healing/supporting cartilage homeostasis in diseases such as isolated cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. Professor Dell’Accio’s group identified a distinct signalling response of adult human articular cartilage to mechanical injury. Individual signalling molecules and pathways identified by this screening are being tested in vitro and in vivo for their function in cartilage biology and joint surface repair. In vivo models include surgical models of osteoarthritis and cartilage injury/regeneration developed in our laboratory. He is now exploring the biological function of such mechanisms for cartilage homeostasis how we can exploit them to protect cartilage from degradation in arthritis. Working in close collaboration with Dr S Sikandar, he is exploring the mechanisms of pain in osteoarthritis. Publications Sambale M, Lively S, Espin-Garcia O et al. (2024). TRPC1 links calcium signaling to cellular senescence in the protection against post-traumatic osteoarthritis. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.182103 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/103274 Thomas BL, Montero‐Melendez T, Oggero S et al. (2024). Molecular Determinants of Neutrophil Extracellular Vesicles That Drive Cartilage Regeneration in Inflammatory Arthritis. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1002/art.42958 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/98715 Dell'Accio F, De Bari C (2024). Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering. nameOfConference DOI: doi QMRO: qmroHref Dajas-Bailador F, Chapman V, Lucci C et al. (2024). 069 INTRA-ARTICULAR ADMINISTRATION OF AGRIN INDUCES RAPID AND SUSTAINED PAIN RELIEF IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.02.080 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/100572 Asgarian R, Schäfer A, Gronewold R et al. (2024). 645 FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION OF CXCR2 AND β1-INTEGRIN SIGNALING IN THE REGULATION OF CARTILAGE HOMEOSTASIS. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.02.660 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/100577 Richter E, Lohmann CH, Dell’Accio F et al. (publicationYear). Sortilin Is Upregulated in Osteoarthritis-Dependent Cartilage Calcification and Associated with Cellular Senescence. nameOfConference DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512343 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/90165 Dell'Accio F, De Bari C (2023). Towards disease modification in osteoarthritis. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2023.05.002 QMRO: qmroHref Caxaria S, Bharde S, Fuller AM et al. (2023). Neutrophils infiltrate sensory ganglia and mediate chronic widespread pain in fibromyalgia. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211631120 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/86231 Caxaria S, Kouvatsos N, Eldridge SE et al. (2022). Disease modification and symptom relief in osteoarthritis using a mutated GCP-2/CXCL6 chemokine. nameOfConference DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202216218 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/82578 Thorup A-S, Dell’Accio F, Eldridge SE (2023). A Mouse Model of Acute Cartilage Injury and Repair. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2839-3_24 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/82668 View Profile Publication Page Sponsors Versus Arthritis FOREUM Foundation for Rheumatology Medical Research Council UCB CollaboratorsInternal Dr Michele Bombardieri Professor Mauro Perretti Dr Panos Kabouridis External Dr Tonia Vincent (Oxford) Dr George Bou-Gharios (Oxford) Professor Thomas Pap (Muenster, Germany) Professor Georg Schett (Erlangen, Germany) Professor Cosimo De Bari (Aberdeen) Professor Andrew McMahon (Harvard, US) NewsSeptember 2020 Regrowing knee cartilage: new animal studies show promise (The Conversation) BBC Radio 5 Live interview (14:38) Agrin induces long term osteochondral regeneration by supporting repair morphogenesis (Science Translational Medicine) ROR2 blockade as a therapy for osteoarthritis (Science Translational Medicine) Back to top