I am Darija Bogdanić and currently, I am working as a transfusion medicine resident at the Clinical Department for Transfusion Medicine and Transplantation Biology of the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; also I am a PhD student in Molecular Biosciences at the University of Osijek, Croatia.
My 1-month short term scientific mission (STSM), which was hosted by dr Rachel Crossland at Hematological Sciences, Newcastle University, for Working Group 2 on ‘Molecular and Cellular Biomarkers of Chronic Graft versus Host Disease (cGvHD)’ was entitled “ MicroRNA profiling of autologous serum extracellular vesicles, for treatment of ocular chronic GvHD”.
The main goal of this STSM was a better understanding of chronic GvHD by examining molecular biomarkers, in this case, micro RNA (miRNA).
During my STSM under the supervision of dr Rachel Crossland, extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from the serum of patients with an ocular form of chronic GvHD treated with autologous serum eye drops (ASED) and healthy controls; Nanostring technology was used to perform screening of miRNA molecules within the vesicles. Results gained in this pilot study could allow the application for further funding and future collaboration.
I received training in appropriate laboratory techniques including EV isolation, nanoparticle tracking analysis, EV characterisation, RNA isolation and concentration, RNA quantification, NanoString screening and statistical analysis.
Moreover, I was enrolled in writing a joined review article on miRNA’s role as a biomarker in GvHD that is currently in process of writing.
Besides that, I did two short educational visits to two extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) departments at Great North Children’s Hospital and Newcastle Freeman Hospital which allowed me to gain insight into the organization of the units and management of GvHD patients in other ECP departments.
An overview of the Short Term Scientific Mission 'Extracellular Vesicle Characterisation via Flow Cytometry' undertaken by Kimberly Schell, a PhD student from the Translational and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University. Kimberly was hosted by Professor Marit Inngjerdingen of the Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
An overview of the Short Term Scientific Mission undertaken by Assistant professor Emina Milosevic from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. Emina was hosted by Professor Hildegard Greinix, Head of Division of Haematology, Medical University of Graz, LKH-Univ. Klinikum Graz.
I am Julia Nihtilä, a PhD student in the transplantation genomics group lead by Professor Jukka Partanen at the Finnish Red Cross Bloodservice.
I am Darija Bogdanić and currently, I am working as a transfusion medicine resident at the Clinical Department for Transfusion Medicine and Transplantation Biology of the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; also I am a PhD student in Molecular Biosciences at the University of Osijek, Croatia.
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