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Doctoral College / Funded Opportunities / The effect of mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles in the treatment of leukaemia

About the course

 About the Project

  1. This project investigates how extracellular vesicles could support the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia.
  2. It focuses on characterising extracellular vesicles from healthy mesenchymal stem cells and refractory acute myeloid leukaemia cells to better understand their molecular markers and functional cargo.
  3. This knowledge could support the development of less invasive and more targeted therapeutic approaches, including extracellular vesicles engineered to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs or natural products directly to leukaemia cells.
  4. The student will use advanced molecular techniques to analyse extracellular vesicle composition, compare vesicles from healthy and leukaemia cells, and explore their potential as drug delivery vehicles.
  5. While current treatments for acute myeloid leukaemia can cause significant side effects and relapse rates remain high, extracellular vesicle-based approaches may offer new routes for more effective and personalised therapies.
  6. Full Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Background

Acute myeloid leukaemia is an aggressive blood cancer that affects white blood cell production in the bone marrow and is often resistant to current treatments. Existing therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy, can cause serious side effects and many patients relapse, creating an urgent need for more effective and less invasive approaches. This PhD project will explore the potential of extracellular vesicles, nano-sized particles released by cells, as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tools. The researcher will characterise extracellular vesicles from healthy mesenchymal stem cells and refractory acute myeloid leukaemia cells to identify key molecular markers and better understand their biological cargo. The project will also investigate how therapeutic agents, such as chemotherapeutic drugs or natural products, could be incorporated into mesenchymal stem cell-derived vesicles for targeted delivery to leukaemia cells, contributing to the development of novel treatment strategies.

 

Estimated thesis submission:

Funding information

This is a fee-waiver opportunity supported by the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Applicants should note that the fee waiver covers tuition fees only and does not include bench fees or other study-related costs.

 

Funding duration: 3 years

Fees and expenses: Please note that applicants will need to be able to cover bench fees, which are expected to be between £3,000 and £5,000.

Stipend

  • Please note that this scholarship does not include a stipend for living costs. Applicants will therefore need to cover these costs themselves, for example through personal funding or a .
  • This is a fee-waived studentship, covering tuition fees only for the duration of the programme.
  • Competition funding may be made available to support training and development via the doctoral college. 
  • International applicants are welcome to apply, but should be aware that they may need to self-fund the difference between the home and international tuition fee rate.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have:

  • At least a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject area.
  • Previous laboratory experience in cell biology, molecular biology, cancer research or a related field is desirable.
  • Applicants must meet the University’s English language requirements. Please see here.

How to apply

We invite a first stage application by completing the 91吃瓜网 Scholarship Application Form returning it to PGRscholarships@dmu.ac.uk by 31 October 2026. You also need to submit the following necessary documentation. Find out more about our necessary documentation.

  • Application form
  • PhD Research Proposal
  • 2 Academic References
  • Passport
  • Certificates and transcripts/HEAR reports
  • English language proof (for applicants who are required to evidence their English language)

If application form is incomplete, you will not be considered for the selection process.

Contact details

- Email: arinze.ude@dmu.ac.uk

 

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