Isabel’s research incorporates a number inter-related themes based around the regulation of bone cell function, physiological bone mineralisation and pathological soft tissue calcification (particularly vascular calcification) by local signalling factors.  The role of extracellular nucleotides (e.g. ATP, UTP, Adenosine), inflammation and antioxidants as keyregulators of skeletal and soft tissue mineralisation are areas of particular focus.   Isabel is also intrested in developing non animal based, alternative models for studying vascular calcification.

Isabel is involved with several international societies and consortiums including INTEC, Bone Research Society and the International Scientific Society on Ectopic Calcification.  She is on the editorial board of Purinergic Signalling and Frontiers in Endocrinology: Bone Research. 

Davies BK, Skelton AJ, Hopkinson M, Lumb S, Holdsworth G, Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2025). Extracellular pH is a critical regulator of osteoclast fusion, size and activation. Bone 195:117466. ?

Davies BK, Mebarek S, Davies OG, Orriss IR (2025). Isolation of extracellular vesicle subtypes from primary osteoblast cultures. Methods Mol Biol 2885: 143-15

Bourne LE, Orriss IR (2025). Isolation and culture of osteoblasts. Methods Mol Biol 2885: 3022

Dreyer TJ, Keen JAC, Wells LM, Hopkinson M, Orriss IR, Holdsworth G, Pitsillides AA, Roberts SJ (2025). Porcupine inhibition is a promising pharmacological treatment for severe sclerosteosis pathologies. Bone Res 13:44.

Niu L, Swingler TE, Suelzu C, Ersek A, Orriss IR, Barter MJ, Hayman DJ, Young DA, Horwood N, Clark IM (2025). The microRNA-455 null mouse shows dysregulated bone turnover. JBMR Plus 12:9.

Opdebeeck B, Vandenbranden A, Adriaensen S, Orriss IR, Patel JJ, Geryl H, Zwijsen K, D’Haese PC, Verhulst A (2024). β,g-methylene-ATP and its metabolite medronic acid affect both arterial media calcification and bone mineralisation in non-CKD and CKD rats. JBMR plus 22:8

Zamboulis DE, Marr N, Moustafa A, Meeson R, Orriss IR, Thorpe CT (2024). Pathological calcification in canine tendon-derived cells is modulated by extracellular ATP. Vet Res Commun 48:1533-1543

Louka P, Orriss IR, Pitsillides AA (2024). Stable sulforaphane targets the early stages of osteoclast formation to engender a lasting functional blockade of osteoclastogenesis. Cells 13:165

Davies BK, Hibbert AP, Roberts SJ, Roberts HC, Tickner JC, Holdsworth G, Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2023). A machine learning-based image segmentation method to quantify in vitro osteoclast endpoints. Calcif Tissue Int 113:437-448

Bourne LE, Davies, BK, Millan JL, Arnett TR, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Keen JAC, Roberts SJ, Orriss IR (2023).  Evidence that pyrophosphate acts as an extracellular signalling molecule to exert direct functional effects in primary cultures of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Bone 176:11686

Opdebeeck B, Huysmans I, Van den Branden A, Orriss IR, Verhulst A (2022). Deletion of the P2Y2 receptor aggravates internal elastic lamina calcification in chronic kidney disease through upregulation of alkaline phosphatase and lipocalin-2. FASEBJ 37:e22701

Orriss IR, Davies BK, Bourne LE, Arnett TR (2022). Modulation of osteoblast differentiation and function by the P2X4 receptor.  Purinergic Sig. 19:367-378

Louka P, Orriss IR, Pitsillides AA (2022). Higher bone mass in mice is linked to lower availability of osteoclasts with reduced resorption capacity and to restricted in vitro sensitivity to stable sulforaphane. Cell Biochem Funct 40:683-693

Prendecki M, McAdoo SP, Turner-Stokes T, Garcia_Diaz A, Orriss IR, Wollard KJ, Bhemoaras J, Cook HT, Unwin R, Pusey CD, Aitman TJ, Tam FW (2022). Glomerulonephritis and autoimmune vasculitis are independent of P2XR7 but may depend on alternative inflammasome pathways. J Pathol 257:300-313.

Bourne LE, Patel JJ, Davies BK, Neven E, Verhulst A, D’Haese PC, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Orriss IR. (2022). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) differentially affects arterial medial calcification and bone formation: the role of L-cysteine and hydrogen sulphide. J Cell Physiol 237:1070-1086.

Bourne LE, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Orriss IR (2021). Regulation of mineralisation in bone and vascular tissue: a comparative review. J Endocrinol 248: R51-R56

Roberts FL, Rashdan NA, Phadwal K, Markby GR, Dillon S, Zoll J, Berger J, Milne E, Orriss IR, Karsenty G, Le Saux O, Morton NM, Farquharson C, MacRae VE (2021).  Osteoblast-specific deficiency of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 engenders insulin resistance in high-fat diet fed mice. J Cell Physiol 236: 4614-4624

Patel JJ, Bourne LE, Thakur S, Farrington K, Gorog, DA, Orriss IR, Baydoun AR (2021). 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid inhibits vascular calcification via induction of glutathionine synthesis. J Cell Physiol 236:2696-2705

Opdebeeck B, Orriss IR, Neven E, D’Haese PC, Verhulst A (2020). Extracellular nucleotides regulate arterial calcification by activating bone independent and dependent purinergic receptor signalling pathways. In J Mol Sci 21: E7636

Orriss IR (2020). Extracellular pyrophosphate: the body’s “water softener”  Bone 134: 115243

Patel JJ, Bourne LE, Millan JL, Arnett TR, MacRae VE, Wheeler-Jones CP, Orriss IR (2019). Inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell calcification by ATP-analogues. Purinergic Signal 15:315-326

Patel JJ, Bourne LE, Davies BK, Arnett TR, MacRae VE, Wheeler-Jones CP, Orriss IR (2019). Differing calcification processes in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and osteoblasts. Exp Cell Res 380:100-113

Meeson R, Perpetuo IP, Parsons K, Orriss IR, Shah M, Pitsillides A, Doube M (2019). The in vitro behaviour of canine osteoblasts derived from different bone types. BMC Vet Res 15:114?

Perpetuo IP, Bourne LE, Orriss IR (2019).  Isolation and generation of osteoblasts. Methods Mol Biol 1914:21-38

Orriss IR, Lanham S, Savery D, Greene NDE, Stanier P, Oreffo R, Copp AJ, Galea GL (2018).  Spina Bifida-predisposing heterozygous mutations in Planar Cell Polarity genes and Zic2 reduce bone mass in young mice.  Sci Rep 8:3325

Patel JJ, Zhu D, Opdebeeck B, D’Haese P, Millan JL, Bourne LE, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Arnett TR, MacRae V, Orriss IR (2017).Inhibition of arterial medial calcification and bone mineralisation by extracellular nucleotides: the same functional effect mediated by different cellular mechanisms.J Cell Physiol 233:3230-3243

Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2017).Metabolic properties of the osteoclast. Bone 17:30481-30487

Javaheri B, Poulet P, Aljazzar A, de Souza R, Piles M, Hopkinson M, Shervill E, Pollard A, Chan B, Chang YM, Orriss IR, Lee P, Pitsillides A (2017).Stable sulforaphane protects against gait anomalies and modifies bone microarchitecture in the spontaneous STR/Ort model of osteoarthritis.Bone 103:308-317

Orriss IR, Guneri D, Hajjawi MOR, Shaw K, Patel JJ, Arnett TR (2017).  Activation of the P2Y2 receptor regulates bone cell function by enhancing the release of ATP. J Endocrinol 233:341-356

Rao SR, Snaith AE, Marino D, Cheng X, Lwin ST, Orriss IR, Hamdy FC, Edwards CM (2016).Tumour-derived alkaline phosphatase regulates tumour growth, epithelial plasticity and disease-free survival in metastatic prostate cancer.Br J Cancer 116:227-236

Orriss IR, Arnett TR, Russell RGG (2016).  Pyrophosphate: a key inhibitor of mineralisation.  Curr Opin Pharmacol 28:57-68

Serra T, Capelli C, Toumpaniari R, Orriss IR, Leong J, Dalgarno K, Kalaskar D (2016).Design and fabrication of 3D-anatomically shaped lumbar cage for intervertebra disc (IVD) degeneration treatment.Biofabrication 8:035001

Orriss IR, Arnett TR, George J, Witham M (2016).  Allopurinol and oxypurinol promote osteoblast differentiation and increase bone formation. Expt Cell Res 342:166-174

Hajjawi MOR, Patel JJ, Corcelli M, Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2016).Lack of effect of adenosine on the function of rodent osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro.  Purinergic Signal 12:247-258

Orriss IR (2015).  The role of purinergic signalling in the musculoskeletal system.  Auton Neurosci 191:124-134.

Pereira M, Jeyabalan J, Jørgensen CS, Hopkinson M, Al-Jazzar A, Roux JP, Chavassieux P, Orriss IR, Cleasby ME, Chenu C (2015). Chronic administration of Glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists improves trabecular bone mass and architecture in ovariectomised mice.  Bone 81:459-467

Orriss IR, Key M, Hajjawi MOR, Millán JL, Arnett TR (2015). Acidosis is a key regulator of osteoblast ecto-nucleotidase pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1) expression and activity J Cell Physiol 230: 3049-3056

Wornham DP, Hajjawi MOR, Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2015).Strontium and osteoblast function.Osteoporosis Int 26:2215

Hajjawi MOR, MaCrae V, Huesa C, Millán JL,  Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2014).  Mineralisation of collagen rich soft tissues and osteocyte lacunae in Enpp1-/- mice. Bone. 69:139-147

Taylor SEB, Shah M, Orriss IR (2014). Rodent and human osteoblast cultures. BoneKey reports. 3:585

Orriss IR, Hajjawi MOR, Huesa C, MaCrae V, Arnett TR (2014).  Bone forming cultures of rat and mouse calvarial osteoblasts: key differences in protocols Int J Mol Med. 34:1201-1208.

Wornham DP, Hajjawi MOR, Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2014). Strontium potently inhibits mineralisation in bone-forming primary rat osteoblast cultures and reduces osteoclastogenesis in mouse marrow cultures. Osteoporosis Int. 25:2477-2484.

Orriss IR, Key M, Hajjawi MOR, Arnett TR (2013). Extracellular ATP released by osteoblasts is a key local inhibitor of mineralisation. PLoS One 8:e69057

Biver G, Wang N, Gartland A, Orriss IR, Arnett TR, Boeynaems JM, Robaye B (2013).  Role of the P2Y13 receptor in the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into osteoblasts and adipocytes.  Stem Cells 31:2747-2758.

Burnstock G, Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2013).  Purinergic signalling in the musculoskeletal system.  Purinergic Signal 9:541-571

Jorgensen NR, Adinolfi E, Orriss IR, Schwarz P (2013).  Purinergic signalling in bone.  J Osteoporos 2013:673684

Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2012) P2Y receptors in bone.  WIREs Membr Transp Signal 1:805-814.

Syberg S, Brandao-Burch A, Patel JJ, Hajjawi M, Arnett TR, Schwarz P, Jorgensen NR, Orriss IR (2012).  Clopidogrel (Plavix®), a P2Y12 receptor antagonist, inhibits bone cell function in vitro and decreases trabecular bone in vivo.  J Bone Mineral Res 27: 2373-2386.

Patel JJ, Utting JC, Key ML, Orriss IR, Taylor SEB, Whatling P, Arnett TR (2012). Hypothermia inhibits osteoblast differentiation and bone formation but stimulates osteoclastogenesis. Exp Cell Res 318:2237-2244

Orriss IR, Key ML, Brandao-Burch A, Patel JJ, Burnstock G, Arnett TR (2012).  The regulation of osteoblast function and bone mineralization by extracellular nucleotides: the role of P2X receptors.   Bone 51:389-400

Brandao-Burch A, Key ML, Patel JJ, Arnett TR, Orriss IR (2012).  The P2X7 receptor is an important regulator of extracellular ATP levels.  Front Endocrin 3:41.

Cesca F, Yabe A, Specer-Dene B, Scholz-Starke J, Orriss IR, Baldelli P, Al-Qatari M, Adams RH, Benfanati F, Schiavo G (2012).  Kidins220/ARMS mediates neurotrophin signalling in central and peripheral nervous system development.  Cell Death Differ 1912:194-208.

Gartland A, Orriss IR, Rumney RMH, Bond AP, Arnett TR, Gallagher JA (2012).  Purinergic signalling in osteoblasts. Front Biosci 17:16-29.

Orriss IR, Taylor SEB, Arnett TR (2012).  Rat osteoblast cultures. Methods Mol Biol 816:31-41.

Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2012).  Rodent osteoclast cultures.  Methods Mol Biol 816:103-117.

Orriss IR, Wang N, Burnstock G, Arnett TR, Gartland A, Robaye B, Boeynaems JM (2011).  The P2Y6 receptor stimulates bone resorption by osteoclasts.  Endocrinology 152:3706-3716.

Orriss IR, Syberg S, Wang N, Robaye B, Gartland A, Jorgensen N, Arnett TR, Boeynaems JM (2011).  Bone phenotypes displayed by P2 receptor knockout mice.  Front Biosci S3:1038-1046.

Utting JC, Flanagan AM, Massey HM, Brandao-Burch A, Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2010). Hypoxia stimulates osteoclast formation from human peripheral blood. Cell Biochem Funct 28:374-380.

Orriss IR, Burnstock G, Arnett TR (2010). Purinergic signalling and bone remodeling.  Curr Opin Pharmacol 10:322-330.

Orriss IR, Knight GE, Utting JC, Taylor SEB, Burnstock G, Arnett TR (2009).  ATP release from rat osteoblasts is enhanced by hypoxia J Cell Physiol 220:155-162.

Orriss IR, Key ML, Colston K, Arnett TR (2009).  Inhibition of osteoblast function in vitro by aminobisphosphonates J Cell Biochem 106:109-18.

Orriss IR, Utting JC, Brandao-Burch A, Colston K, Grubb BR, Burnstock G, Arnett TR (2007).  Extracellular nucleotides block bone mineralisation in vitro: evidence for dual inhibitory mechanisms involving both P2Y2 receptors and pyrophosphate.  Endocrinology 148:4208-4216.

Orriss IR, Knight GE, Ranasinghe S, Burnstock G, Arnett TR (2006) Osteoblast responses to nucleotides increase during differentiation. Bone 39:300-309.

Utting JC, Robins SP, Brandao-Burch A, Orriss IR, Behar J, Arnett TR (2006). Hypoxia inhibits growth, differentiation and bone-forming capacity of rat osteoblasts. Exp Cell Res. 312: 1693-1672.

Brandao-Burch A, Utting J, Orriss IR, Arnett TR (2005). Acidosis inhibits bone formation by osteoblasts in vitro by preventing mineralisation. Calcif Tissue Int. 77: 163-174.

Arnett TR, Gibbons DC, Utting JC, Orriss IR, Hoebertz A, Rosendaal M, Megjhi S (2003). Hypoxia is a major stimulator of osteoclast formation and bone resorption. J Cell Physiol. 196:2-8.

Isabel is the Co-Course Director for BSc / MSci Biosciences suite of courses. She teaches on both the BSc/MSci and BVetmed undergraduate courses.  Her areas of teaching include regulation of the cell cycle, cancer, imaging of disease and skeletal pathobiology.  Isabel is a personal tutor for BVetmed students and a postgraduate advisor for PhD and MRes students.

Isabel regularly participates in RVC outreach events including our summer schools and taster days.