Dr Karan Mehul Shah

MSc, PhD, FHEA

School of Medicine and Population Health

Research Associate

k.shah@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9025

DU24, D Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Dr Karan Mehul Shah
School of Medicine and Population Health
DU24, D Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX

Profile

I completed my PhD in 2014 at The University of Sheffield, and since then have been working as a Research Associate with a focus on bone biology in the Division of Clinical Medicine. I have developed a strong foundation in research during my PhD and first post-doctoral position (2014-2016) that focussed on understanding the effect of metal debris from hip prostheses on bone tissue. I received the William H. Harriss Award in recognition for ‘outstanding research related to the hip’ by the Orthopaedic research Society in 2014.

I then transitioned seamlessly into my subsequent area of research in breast cancer induced bone-disease (2016-2021), where I investigated the role of purinergic signalling and LOX in bone metastasis. It is during this position that I developed my interest in the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer progression, which is one of my current research interests. I was awarded an Ideas Grant by the Bone Cancer Research Trust to investigate the role of EVs in pulmonary metastasis in osteosarcoma.

My current research focuses on dissecting the oestrogen signalling biases in chondrosarcoma and breast cancer with a particular interest in GPER. Throughout my research career, I have also maintained a keen interest in pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and have been involved in multiple collaborations that aim to understand the regulatory mechanisms and single-cell levels in human tissues and developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Research interests

My research interests are strongly aligned with the University’s core cancer strategy, focusing on translational and precision cancer medicine and improving outcomes for cancer patients.

The primary focus of my current work is to elucidate the mechanisms of cancer metastasis, the process responsible for most cancer-related deaths. Specifically, I am investigating how the primary tumour establishes a pre-metastatic niche in distant organs, with a key emphasis on the role of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). I explore the regulatory mechanisms governing EV release in osteosarcoma and breast cancer, and the downstream effects these EVs exert on recipient cells at potential metastatic sites.

Additionally, I maintain a research interest in understanding the oestrogen signalling pathway biases in chondrosarcoma and breast cancer.

Funding and awards

Co-Principal investigator: ‘Targeting P2X7R to overcome hypoxia mediated progression of breast cancer’. Yorkshire Cancer Research Sheffield Pioneers Fund 2025 Round 4 (£445,677)
Principal investigator: ‘Understanding Chondrosarcoma - from pathogenesis to new treatment options’. Bone Cancer Research Trust Project Grant 2023 (£162,012).
Principal investigator: ‘Delineating the role of hypoxic extracellular vesicles in pulmonary metastasis of osteosarcoma’. Bone Cancer Research Trust Ideas Grant 2021 (£19,867).
Co-I: ‘Biological effects of tribocorrosion products on the bone microenvironment and prosthesis osseo-integration’. Orthopaedic Research UK Post-doctoral Funding 2014 (£93,245.00)
National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Fellowship (BRF-2011-013 and BRF-2011-020) for ‘The Effect of Metal Ions after Hip Resurfacing on Bone Cell Health’ (£71,187.00)
William H. Harris Award for ‘outstanding work in orthopaedic research related to the hip’ awarded at the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, USA (2014)
Early Career Researcher Prize for Excellence in Outreach/Public Engagement and Excellence in Supervision/Teaching by Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health, University of Sheffield (2016).

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Jiang W, Jin Y, Zhang S, Ding Y, Huo K, Yang J, Zhao L, Nian B, Zhong TP, Lu W , Zhang H et al (2022) PGE2 activates EP4 in subchondral bone osteoclasts to regulate osteoarthritis. Bone Research, 10(1).
Jin Y, Liu Q, Chen P, Zhao S, Jiang W, Wang F, Li P, Zhang Y, Lu W, Zhong TP , Ma X et al (2022) A novel prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) small molecule antagonist induces articular cartilage regeneration. Cell Discovery, 8(1).
Tattersall L, Shah KM, Lath DL, Singh A, Down JM, De Marchi E, Williamson A, Di Virgilio F, Heymann D, Adinolfi E , Fraser WD et al (2021) The P2RX7B splice variant modulates osteosarcoma cell behaviour and metastatic properties. Journal of Bone Oncology, 31. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Southam L, Fontalis A, Clark MJ, Jayasuriya RL, Swift D, Shah KM, Brooks RA, McCaskie AW, Wilkinson JM & Zeggini E (2021) Linking chondrocyte and synovial transcriptional profile to clinical phenotype in osteoarthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 80(8), 1070-1074. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Dunning MJ, Gartland A & Wilkinson JM (2021) Distinct concentration-dependent molecular pathways regulate bone cell responses to cobalt and chromium exposure from joint replacement prostheses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(10). View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Southam L, Roumeliotis TI, Clark MJ, Jayasuriya RL, Swift D, Shah KM, Butterfield NC, Brooks RA, McCaskie AW , Bassett JHD et al (2021) A molecular quantitative trait locus map for osteoarthritis. Nature Communications, 12. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Orton P, Mani N, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2017) Osteocyte physiology and response to fluid shear stress are impaired following exposure to cobalt and chromium: Implications for bone health following joint replacement.. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 35(8), 1716-1723. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2015) Cobalt and chromium exposure affects osteoblast function and impairs the mineralization of prosthesis surfaces in vitro.. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Quinn PD, Gartland A & Wilkinson JM (2015) Understanding the tissue effects of tribo-corrosion: Uptake, distribution, and speciation of cobalt and chromium in human bone cells. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 33(1), 114-121.
Andrews RE, Shah KM, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2011) Effects of cobalt and chromium ions at clinically equivalent concentrations after metal-on-metal hip replacement on human osteoblasts and osteoclasts: implications for skeletal health . Bone, 49(4), 717-723. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Shah KM, Gartland A, Zeggini E & Wilkinson JM () The effects of chronic cobalt and chromium exposure after metal-on-metal hip resurfacing: an epigenome-wide association pilot study. Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

Preprints

Shah KM, Tattersall L, Hussain A, Macfarlane SC, Williamson A, Acosta-Martin AE, Erler JT, Ottewell PD & Gartland A (2022) P2RX7 inhibition reduces breast cancer induced osteolytic lesions - implications for bone metastasis, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

All publications

Journal articles

Bull EC, Singh A, Harden AM, Soanes K, Habash H, Toracchio L, Carrabotta M, Schreck C, Shah KM, Riestra PV , Chantoiseau M et al (2025) Targeting metastasis in paediatric bone sarcomas. Molecular Cancer, 24. View this article in WRRO
Katsoula G, Arruda AL, Tutino M, Kreitmaier P, Shah KM, Swift D, Southam L, Wilkinson JM & Zeggini E (2025) TRANSCRIPTOME REGULATION ANALYSIS IN OSTEOARTHRITIS PRIMARY TISSUES IDENTIFIES HIGH-CONFIDENCE EFFECTOR GENES. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 33, S77-S77.
Ogunmwonyi I, Snuggs J, Shah KM & Wilkinson JM (2025) OPTIMISATION OF OSTEOCHONDRAL CELL ISOLATION FOR SINGLE CELL ATAC AND RNA SEQUENCING. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 33, S398-S398.
Kreitmaier P, Stergiou OS, Katsoula G, Tutino M, Bittner N, Shah KM, Swift D, Wilkinson JM & Zeggini E (2025) EPIGENOME-WIDE MAPS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS IN PRIMARY TISSUES. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 33, S407-S407.
Lawrence SR & Shah KM (2024) Prospects and current challenges of extracellular vesicle-based biomarkers in cancer. Biology, 13(9). View this article in WRRO
Gao J, Pei H, Lv F, Niu X, You Y, He L, Hu S, Shah KM, Liu M, Chen Y , Du B et al (2024) Corrigendum to ‘JD-312 – A novel small molecule that facilitates cartilage repair and alleviates osteoarthritis progression’[Journal of Orthopaedic Translation 44 (2024) 60–71]. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, 48, 244-246.
Gao J, Pei H, Lv F, Niu X, You Y, He L, Hu S, Shah KM, Liu M, Chen Y , Du B et al (2024) JD-312 – A novel small molecule that facilitates cartilage repair and alleviates osteoarthritis progression. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, 44, 60-71.
He L, Xu Z, Niu X, Li R, Wang F, You Y, Gao J, Zhao L, Shah KM, Fan J , Liu M et al (2023) GPRC5B protects osteoarthritis by regulation of autophagy signaling. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 13(7), 2976-2989.
Green D, Singh A, Tippett VL, Tattersall L, Shah KM, Siachisumo C, Ward NJ, Thomas P, Carter S, Jeys L , Sumathi V et al (2023) YBX1-interacting small RNAs and RUNX2 can be blocked in primary bone cancer using CADD522. Journal of Bone Oncology, 39. View this article in WRRO
Tippett VL, Tattersall L, Ab Latif NB, Shah KM, Lawson MA & Gartland A (2023) The strategy and clinical relevance of in vitro models of MAP resistance in osteosarcoma: a systematic review. Oncogene, 42(4), 259-277. View this article in WRRO
Tattersall L, Gagui DC, Tippett VL, Latif NBA, Shah KM & Gartland A (2022) A systematic review of the expression, signalling and function of P2 receptors in primary bone cancer. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark, 27(4).
Jiang W, Jin Y, Zhang S, Ding Y, Huo K, Yang J, Zhao L, Nian B, Zhong TP, Lu W , Zhang H et al (2022) PGE2 activates EP4 in subchondral bone osteoclasts to regulate osteoarthritis. Bone Research, 10(1).
Jin Y, Liu Q, Chen P, Zhao S, Jiang W, Wang F, Li P, Zhang Y, Lu W, Zhong TP , Ma X et al (2022) A novel prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) small molecule antagonist induces articular cartilage regeneration. Cell Discovery, 8(1).
Liu Y, Shah KM & Luo J (2021) Strategies for articular cartilage repair and regeneration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9.
Tattersall L, Shah KM, Lath DL, Singh A, Down JM, De Marchi E, Williamson A, Di Virgilio F, Heymann D, Adinolfi E , Fraser WD et al (2021) The P2RX7B splice variant modulates osteosarcoma cell behaviour and metastatic properties. Journal of Bone Oncology, 31. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Southam L, Fontalis A, Clark MJ, Jayasuriya RL, Swift D, Shah KM, Brooks RA, McCaskie AW, Wilkinson JM & Zeggini E (2021) Linking chondrocyte and synovial transcriptional profile to clinical phenotype in osteoarthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 80(8), 1070-1074. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Dunning MJ, Gartland A & Wilkinson JM (2021) Distinct concentration-dependent molecular pathways regulate bone cell responses to cobalt and chromium exposure from joint replacement prostheses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(10). View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Southam L, Roumeliotis TI, Clark MJ, Jayasuriya RL, Swift D, Shah KM, Butterfield NC, Brooks RA, McCaskie AW , Bassett JHD et al (2021) A molecular quantitative trait locus map for osteoarthritis. Nature Communications, 12. View this article in WRRO
Marino S, Carrasco G, Li B, Shah KM, Lath DL, Sophocleous A, Lawson MA & Idris AI (2020) JZL184, a monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor, induces bone loss in a multiple myeloma model of immunocompetent mice. Calcified Tissue International, 107(1), 72-85. View this article in WRRO
MacInnes SJ, Hatzikotoulas K, Fenstad AM, Shah K, Southam L, Tachmazidou I, Hallan G, Dale H, Panoutsopoulou K, Furnes O , Zeggini E et al (2019) Erratum to: The 2018 Otto Aufranc Award: How Does Genome-wide Variation Affect Osteolysis Risk After THA?. Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research, 477(3), 668-668.
MacInnes SJ, Hatzikotoulas K, Fenstad AM, Shah K, Southam L, Tachmazidou I, Hallan G, Dale H, Panoutsopoulou K, Furnes O , Zeggini E et al (2019) The 2018 Otto Aufranc Award: How does genome-wide variation affect osteolysis risk after THA?. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 477(2), 297-309. View this article in WRRO
Hatzikotoulas K, Roposch A, Case Control Consortium DDH, Shah KM, Clark MJ, Bratherton S, Limbani V, Steinberg J, Zengini E, Warsame K , Ratnayake M et al (2018) Genome-wide association study of developmental dysplasia of the hip identifies an association with GDF5. Communications Biology, 1. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Ritchie GRS, Roumeliotis TI, Jayasuriya RL, Clark MJ, Brooks RA, Binch ALA, Shah KM, Coyle R, Pardo M , Le Maitre CL et al (2017) Integrative epigenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics of patient chondrocytes reveal genes and pathways involved in osteoarthritis. Scientific Reports, 7(1). View this article in WRRO
Hatzikotoulas K, Roposch A, Shah KM, Clark MJ, Bratherton S, Limbani V, Steinberg J, Zengini E, Warsame K, Ratnayake M , Tselepi M et al (2017) The Genetic Epidemiology of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Genome-Wide Association Study Harnessing National Clinical Audit Data.
Shah KM, Orton P, Mani N, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2017) Osteocyte physiology and response to fluid shear stress are impaired following exposure to cobalt and chromium: Implications for bone health following joint replacement.. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 35(8), 1716-1723. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Stern MM, Stern AR, Pathak JL, Bravenboer N & Bakker AD (2016) Osteocyte isolation and culture methods.. BoneKEy Reports, 5. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2015) Cobalt and chromium exposure affects osteoblast function and impairs the mineralization of prosthesis surfaces in vitro.. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. View this article in WRRO
Shah KM, Quinn PD, Gartland A & Wilkinson JM (2015) Understanding the tissue effects of tribo-corrosion: Uptake, distribution, and speciation of cobalt and chromium in human bone cells. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 33(1), 114-121.
Andrews RE, Shah KM, Wilkinson JM & Gartland A (2011) Effects of cobalt and chromium ions at clinically equivalent concentrations after metal-on-metal hip replacement on human osteoblasts and osteoclasts: implications for skeletal health . Bone, 49(4), 717-723. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Shah KM, Gartland A, Zeggini E & Wilkinson JM () The effects of chronic cobalt and chromium exposure after metal-on-metal hip resurfacing: an epigenome-wide association pilot study. Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

Conference proceedings

Hatzikotoulas K, Roposch A, Shah KM, Clark MJ, Bratherton S, Limbani V, Warsame K, Ratnayake M, Tselepi M, Schwartzentruber J , Steinberg J et al (2017) National clinical audit data decodes the genetic architecture of developmental dysplasia of the hip. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Vol. 25 (pp S36-S37). Las Vegas, USA, 27 April 2017 - 27 April 2017. View this article in WRRO
Steinberg J, Ritchie G, Roumeliotis T, Jayasuriya R, Brooks R, Binch A, Shah K, Coyle R, Pardo M, Le Maitre C , Ramos Y et al (2017) Molecular phenotyping of patient chondrocytes reveals genes and pathways involved in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Vol. 25 (pp S209-S210)
Shah K, Quinn P, Wilkinson M & Gartland A (2012) SPECIATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF COBALT AND CHROMIUM IN OSTEOBLASTS AND OSTEOCLASTS USING MICROFOCUS X-RAY FLUORESCENCE AND X-RAY ABSORPTION NEAR-EDGE STRUCTURE. OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL, Vol. 23 (pp S592-S592)
Shah K, Patel V, Wang N & Gartland A (2010) The Effect of ATP on cancer cell proliferation in vitro -involvement of multiple P2X Receptors. PURINERGIC SIGNALLING, Vol. 6(1) (pp 140-140)

Preprints

Katsoula G, Arruda AL, Tutino M, Reimann E, Kreitmaier P, Shah KM, Swift D, Southam L, Suutre S, Velazquez Silva GL , Tootsi K et al (2024) Transcriptome analysis in osteoarthritis primary tissues identifies high-confidence effector genes, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Shah KM, Tattersall L, Hussain A, Macfarlane SC, Williamson A, Acosta-Martin AE, Erler JT, Ottewell PD & Gartland A (2022) P2RX7 inhibition reduces breast cancer induced osteolytic lesions - implications for bone metastasis, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Tattersall L, Shah KM, Lath DL, Singh A, Down JM, De Marchi E, Williamson A, Di Virgilio F, Heymann D, Adinolfi E , Fraser WD et al (2021) The P2RX7B splice variant modulates osteosarcoma cell behaviour and metastatic properties, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Steinberg J, Ritchie GRS, Roumeliotis TI, Jayasuriya RL, Brooks RA, Binch ALA, Shah KM, Coyle R, Pardo M, Le Maitre CL , Ramos YFM et al (2016) Integrative epigenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics of patient chondrocytes reveal genes and pathways involved in osteoarthritis, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Steinberg J, Southam L, Butterfield NC, Roumeliotis TI, Fontalis A, Clark MJ, Jayasuriya RL, Swift D, Shah KM, Curry KF , Brooks RA et al () Decoding the genomic basis of osteoarthritis. View this article in WRRO

Professional activities and memberships

Member of the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS) Academy, 2024–28

Bone Research Society committee member, 2024–27

International Federation of Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS) Future Global Leaders Committee member 2024–27