Research
skin, 3D bioprinting, mechanobiology, regenerative medicine
Interests
My research group focuses on the repair and regeneration of human skin. We develop novel biomaterials and engineered biosystems to model the skin and employ technologies such as micro-fabrication, engineered hydrogels, and 3D bioprinting. This approach has allowed to uncover fundamental mechanisms of tissue homeostasis and wound repair, and a key are of interest is the role of mechanical and biophysical cues in skin regeneration.
Publications

Publications of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
2019

Uttagomol J, Ahmad US, Rehman A, Huang Y, Laly AC, Kang A, Soetaert J, Chance R, Teh MT,
Connelly JT and Wan H (2019).
Evidence for the desmosomal cadherin desmoglein-3 in regulating YAP and Phospho-YAP in keratinocyte responses to mechanical forces. International Journal of Molecular Sciences vol. 20, (24)
10.3390/ijms20246221
Theocharidis G and
Connelly JT (2019).
Minor collagens of the skin with not so minor functions. J Anat vol. 235, (2) 418-429.
10.1111/joa.12584
Almeida FV, Gammon L, Laly AC, Pundel OJ, Bishop CL and
Connelly JT (2019).
High‐Content Analysis of Cell Migration Dynamics within a Micropatterned Screening Platform. Wiley Advanced Biosystems 1900011-1900011.
10.1002/adbi.2019000112018

Ghetti M, Topouzi H, Theocharidis G, Papa V, Williams G, Bondioli E, Cenacchi G,
Connelly JT and Higgins CA (2018).
Subpopulations of dermal skin fibroblasts secrete distinct extracellular matrix: implications for using skin substitutes in the clinic. Br J Dermatol vol. 179, (2) 381-393.
10.1111/bjd.16255
Kenny FN, Drymoussi Z, Delaine-Smith R, Kao AP, Laly AC,
Knight MM, Philpott MP and
Connelly JT (2018).
Tissue stiffening promotes keratinocyte proliferation through activation of epidermal growth factor signaling. Journal of Cell Science vol. 131, (10)
10.1242/jcs.2157802017

Pearce OMT, Delaine-Smith R, Maniati E, Nichols S, Wang J, Böhm S, Rajeeve V, Ullah D, Chakravarty P, Jones RR, Montfort A, Dowe T, Gribben J, Jones JL, Kocher HM, Serody JS, Vincent BG,
Connelly J, Brenton JD, Chelala C, Cutillas PR, Lockley M, Bessant C,
Knight M and
Balkwill FR (2017).
Deconstruction of a metastatic tumor microenvironment reveals a common matrix response in human cancers. Cancer Discov 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-17-0284
(2017).
Epidermal grafting for wound healing: a review on the harvesting systems, the ultrastructure of the graft and the mechanism of wound healing. Int Wound J vol. 14, (1) 16-23.
10.1111/iwj.126862016

Sharili AS, Kenny FN, Vartiainen MK and
Connelly JT (2016).
Nuclear actin modulates cell motility via transcriptional regulation of adhesive and cytoskeletal genes. Sci Rep vol. 6, 33893-33893.
10.1038/srep33893
Kao AP,
Connelly JT and Barber AH (2016).
3D nanomechanical evaluations of dermal structures in skin. Journal of The Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials vol. 57, 14-23.
10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.11.017
Theocharidis G, Drymoussi Z, Kao AP, Barber AH,
Lee DA, Braun KM and
Connelly JT (2016).
Type VI Collagen Regulates Dermal Matrix Assembly and Fibroblast Motility. J Invest Dermatol vol. 136, (1) 74-83.
10.1038/JID.2015.3522015

Almeida FV, Walko G, McMillan JR, McGrath JA, Wiche G, Barber AH and
Connelly JT (2015).
The cytolinker plectin regulates nuclear mechanotransduction in keratinocytes. J Cell Sci vol. 128, (24) 4475-4486.
10.1242/jcs.173435
Kenny FN and
Connelly JT (2015).
Integrin-mediated adhesion and mechano-sensing in cutaneous wound healing. Cell and Tissue Research vol. 360, (3) 571-582.
10.1007/s00441-014-2064-9
Dalbay MT, Thorpe SD,
Connelly JT,
Chapple JP and
Knight MM (2015).
Adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs is mediated by recruitment of IGF-1r onto the primary cilium associated with cilia elongation. Stem Cells vol. 33, (6) 1952-1961.
10.1002/stem.19752014

Sharili AS and
Connelly JT (2014).
Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling: a common theme in mechanotransduction. Biochem Soc Trans vol. 42, (3) 645-649.
10.1042/BST201302862013

Tan DW, Jensen KB, Trotter MW,
Connelly JT, Broad S and Watt FM (2013).
Single-cell gene expression profiling reveals functional heterogeneity of undifferentiated human epidermal cells. Development vol. 140, (7) 1433-1444.
10.1242/dev.0875512012

Costa P, Almeida FVM and
Connelly JT (2012).
Biophysical signals controlling cell fate decisions: how do stem cells really feel? Int J Biochem Cell Biol vol. 44, (12) 2233-2237.
10.1016/j.biocel.2012.09.003
Driskell RR, Juneja VR,
Connelly JT, Kretzschmar K, Tan DW-M and Watt FM (2012).
Clonal growth of dermal papilla cells in hydrogels reveals intrinsic differences between Sox2-positive and -negative cells in vitro and in vivo. J Invest Dermatol vol. 132, (4) 1084-1093.
10.1038/jid.2011.428
Trappmann B,
Gautrot JE,
Connelly JT, Strange DGT, Li Y, Oyen ML, Cohen Stuart MA, Boehm H, Li B, Vogel V, Spatz JP, Watt FM and Huck WTS (2012).
Extracellular-matrix tethering regulates stem-cell fate. Nature Materials 10.1038/nmat3339
Trappmann B, Gautrot JE,
Connelly JT, Strange DGT, Li Y, Oyen ML, Cohen Stuart MA, Boehm H, Li B, Vogel V, Spatz JP, Watt FM and Huck WTS (2012).
Erratum: Extracellular-matrix tethering regulates stem-cell fate (Nature Materials (2012) 11 (642-649)). Nature Materials vol. 11, (8)
10.1038/nmat3387
Trappmann B,
Gautrot JE,
Connelly JT, Strange DGT, Li Y, Oyen ML, Cohen Stuart MA, Boehm H, Li B, Vogel V, Spatz JP, Watt FM and Huck WTS (2012).
Extracellular-matrix tethering regulates stem-cell fate. Nature Publishisg Group Nature Materials vol. 11, (7) 642-649.
10.1038/nmat33392011
Connelly JT, Petrie TA, García AJ and Levenston ME (2011).
Fibronectin- and collagen-mimetic ligands regulate bone marrow stromal cell chondrogenesis in three-dimensional hydrogels. Eur Cell Mater vol. 22, 168-176.
10.22203/ecm.v022a132010
Connelly JT,
Gautrot JE, Trappmann B, Tan DWM, Donati G, Huck WTS and Watt FM (2010).
Actin and serum response factor transduce physical cues from the microenvironment to regulate epidermal stem cell fate decisions. Nature Cell Biology vol. 12, (7) 711-718.
10.1038/ncb2074
Connelly JT, Vanderploeg EJ, Mouw JK, Wilson CG and Levenston ME (2010).
Tensile loading modulates bone marrow stromal cell differentiation and the development of engineered fibrocartilage constructs. Tissue Eng Part A vol. 16, (6) 1913-1923.
10.1089/ten.TEA.2009.0561
Gautrot JE, Trappmann B, Oceguera-Yanez F,
Connelly J, He X, Watt FM and Huck WTS (2010).
Exploiting the superior protein resistance of polymer brushes to control single cell adhesion and polarisation at the micron scale. Biomaterials vol. 31, (18) 5030-5041.
10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.02.0662008
Connelly JT, García AJ and Levenston ME (2008).
Interactions between integrin ligand density and cytoskeletal integrity regulate BMSC chondrogenesis. J Cell Physiol vol. 217, (1) 145-154.
10.1002/jcp.21484
Connelly JT, Wilson CG and Levenston ME (2008).
Characterization of proteoglycan production and processing by chondrocytes and BMSCs in tissue engineered constructs. Osteoarthritis Cartilage vol. 16, (9) 1092-1100.
10.1016/j.joca.2008.01.0042007

Mouw JK,
Connelly JT, Wilson CG, Michael KE and Levenston ME (2007).
Dynamic compression regulates the expression and synthesis of chondrocyte-specific matrix molecules in bone marrow stromal cells. Stem Cells vol. 25, (3) 655-663.
10.1634/stemcells.2006-04352004
Connelly JT, Vanderploeg EJ and Levenston ME (2004).
The influence of cyclic tension amplitude on chondrocyte matrix synthesis: experimental and finite element analyses. Biorheology vol. 41, (3-4) 377-387.