Professor of Regenerative Biology
The role of Irregular connective tissue in soft tissue patterning, repair and homeostasis
Diseases that disrupt musculoskeletal (MSK) system function are common and place a significant burden on affected individuals and their carers. Nationally, they cause significant healthcare costs and lost productivity. Many diseases affecting skeletal muscle have their origins in the failure of normal muscle formation or failure of muscle repair. The importance of the irregular connective tissue (ICT) that surrounds muscle cells in building and maintaining skeletal muscle tissue has been clearly demonstrated. However, very little is known about how ICT acts during muscle formation and repair. Harnessing the activities of this cell population is an essential component in strategies to engineer muscle tissue
Our objectives are to learn what ICT is doing during muscle formation, how this has become disrupted to cause muscle hypoplasia/dysplasia and how to harness the activities of ICT for regenerative strategies.
The role of the periosteum in bone homeostasis, fracture repair and disease
The skeleton is remodelled throughout life with older tissue being replaced by new cells. This constant turnover enables bone to respond to exercise and increase in size and density, while under reduced load bone mass is lost. Imbalance in the turnover of bone is the basis of diseases such as osteoporosis.
The periosteum, a thin layer of cells surrounding the outer surface of the bone, is one source of tissue-resident stem cells that generates bone progenitors during bone homeostasis. The mechanisms by which periosteal cells respond to biomechanical stimuli is not known, nor is it understood why this declines with age.
We are studying the properties of periosteal cells and how these can change with age. We are developing ways to study periosteal cell function and to manipulate these cells in culture with a view towards translation for clinical benefit.
Initiation of Limb bud formation
The first step in limb formation is an inductive signal from the main body axis acting on adjacent cells at specific regions along the flank of the main body. For the prospective limb-forming regions to respond to an instructive signal they must be competent to receive such cues. We are dissecting the mechanism that makes these regions competent to respond to instructive cues, how these regions of competence are correctly positioned along the main body axis and the combination of signals that convert mesodermal cells of the embryo into progenitors of the forelimb and hindlimb.
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Logan, M., 23 Dec 2021, In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 14, 757646. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2021.757646
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Duboc, V., Sulaiman, F. A., Feneck, E., Kucharska, A., Bell, D., Holder-Espinasse, M. & Logan, M. P. O., 1 Oct 2021, In: Development (Cambridge, England). 148, 19 Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.199580
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Feneck, E. M., Bickley, S. R. B. & Logan, M. P. O., Oct 2021, In: Diversity. 13, 10, 481. Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.3390/d13100481
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Feneck, E., Bickley, S. R. B. & Logan, M., 29 Sep 2021, In: DIVERSITY. 13, 481 Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Duboc, V., Sulaiman, F. A., Feneck, E., Kucharska, A., Bell, D., Holder-Espinasse, M. & Logan, M., 2 Aug 2021, In: Development. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Logan, M., Jul 2021, In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. 64, 7, 104213. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmg.2021.104213
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Usansky, I., Jaworska, P., Asti, L., Kenny, F., Hobbs, C., Sofra, V., Song, H., Logan, M., Graham, A. & Shaw, T., Mar 2021, In: Journal of Pathology. 253, 3, p. 315-325 11 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1002/path.5589
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Logan, M., Wilde, S. M., Feneck, E. & Mohun, T. J., 17 Feb 2021, In: Development (Cambridge). 148, 4, dev194746. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.194746
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Besse, L., Sheeba, C. J., Holt, M., Labuhn, M., Wilde, S., Feneck, E., Bell, D., Kucharska, A. & Logan, M. P. O., 10 Mar 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Cell Reports. 30, 10, p. 3552-3565.e6 Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.037
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Logan, M. P. O. & Feneck, E. M., 13 Feb 2020, In: Biomolecules. 10, 2, 312. Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review. DOIs: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10020312
MRC
BBSRC CASE PhD
British Society for Surgery of the Hand
Externally focused events
We frequently engaged with artists on collaborative projects and we welcome anyone interested in future potential collaborations to contact us. Examples of past collaborations include:
Paddy Hartley (paddyhartley.com) Papaver Rhoeas, Tamsin Van Essen-(tamsinvanessen.com), Ju Gosling (ju90.co.uk) (Abnormal Exhibition).
We take part in Science outreach activities, including "Pint of Science". We have also provided advice to authors eg. David Nichols, US and Helen Pilcher, Bring back the King.
3D Mouse Limb Anatomy Atlas
To improve the resources available in the mouse model, we generated a free, web-based, interactive anatomy reference of limb muscle, tendon, and skeletal structures. The Atlas was produced using mouse forelimb and hindlimb specimens stained using immunohistochemistry to detect muscle and tendon. Limbs were scanned using Optical Projection Tomography (OPT), reconstructed to make 3D models and annotated using computer-assisted segmentation tools.
The Mouse Limb Anatomy Atlas provides a novel tool for researchers studying limb development and can be applied to a range of research areas, including the identification of abnormal limb patterning in transgenic lines and studies of models of congenital limb abnormalities.
3D Anatomy atlas
3D Anatomy Atlas 2