Studying pain from the bench to the bedside

More than 20 experts in fields ranging from lab science to industry to self-administered treatments gathered at UTHealth Houston on Aug. 28 to explore pain research.

The Cizik Nursing Research Institute hosted its second annual retreat on the topic at the UTHealth Houston Institute for Molecular Medicine. Speakers and panelists provided varied perspectives on the theme “Translational Research in Biobehavioral Approaches to Pain Management in the Era of Precision Science.” The event was co-sponsored by the Suzie Conway Endowed Professorship in Nursing and the Maria C. and Christopher J. Pappas Family Distinguished Chair in Nursing.

Bookending the daylong retreat were opening speaker Leorey Saligan, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, vice dean of research and a professor at the Rutgers Health School of Nursing, and closing speaker Burel R. Goodin, PhD, current president of the U.S. Association for the Study of Pain and a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the WashU Medicine Pain Center at Washington University in St. Louis..

The participants also heard from panelists who shared insights on bringing discoveries to market, ongoing research projects, and rigor and reproducibility in pain research and training. Each of the panel discussions began with experts delivering short presentations followed by a group question-and-answer session. (See a complete list of panel presenters and topics below this article.)

Saligan described his studies of the relationship between pain and fatigue in his presentation, “Shadow Symptoms: Decoding the Biobehavioral Architecture of Complex Symptoms in the Era of Precision Science.”

“Pain and fatigue are not isolated phenomena. They are co-occurring biobehavioral phenotypes,” he said. His research has included exploration of the effects of ketamine on glutamate receptors to reduce fatigue following cancer treatments and in patients with fibromyalgia.

Goodin discussed research related to the effects of diet and weight-loss on knee and back pain as well as the related development of a GLP-1 drug. In a study working with women who received weekly food shipments, those who lost at least 10-12 lbs. reported a reduction in pain severity and interference with daily activities, regardless of whether they adhered to a low-carb diet or a standard, healthy diet.

“Both diets decreased knee pain,” he said.

Industry Panel: Translational Research Moving Scientific Discoveries to the Patient

Representatives from science and business shared what they have learned about taking discoveries to market in a session that also included a presentation from Gregory F. Maassen, PhD, a documentary film maker and patient advocate. Maassen shared his years’ long struggle and ultimate diagnosis with a postinfectious form of peripheral neuropathy. The Netherlands native has ridden an e-bike across the U.S. twice to raise awareness and funds for the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center at Johns Hopkins University.

“Pain is not simply a number on a scale. It is about reclaiming one’s life. Instead of asking ‘How much pain do you have,’ consider asking ‘What has pain taken away from you?’” Maassen said.

Other speakers provided insights on the marketability of biotechnologies.

Dee Dao, PhD, from the State University of New York-Stony Brook, discussed “problem/solution fit.” “Innovations must be important and urgent,” she said. “Mining data and not pointing it to an urgent problem is a missed opportunity.”

Fernanda Laezza, MD, PhD, of UTMB, and Marijn Lijffijt, PhD, MBA, have worked together to develop and bring drugs to market through IonTX Inc., of which Lijffijt is CEO. He demonstrated the many roles and areas of expertise needed for a successful startup by donning a series of hats. He stressed the importance of building relationships with potential investors over time. “People need to feel comfortable before they start sharing their money,” he said.

Panel: Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Presentations and Works in Progress

Fellows and students from UTHealth Houston and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center shared their work ranging from qualitative studies to epigenetic research.

Two described lab studies involving dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Hajira Elahi, PhD, a research fellow at MD Anderson, is looking at how these sensory pathways are affected by chemotherapy, while Chrystine Gallegos, a PhD candidate at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, is studying how satellite glial cells induce hyperexcitability in the DRG neurons they surround.

Syed Hussain, PhD, provided an update on an NIH-funded pragmatic clinical trial of auricular point acupressure as a nonpharmacological pain management option. The study, led by Jennifer Kawi, PhD, RN, at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, involves teaching participants in rural areas to administer an intervention themselves using a mobile app.

Panel: Rigor and Reproducibility in Pain and its Application in Training

Bench scientists and clinical researchers discussed projects ranging from neurons in the lab to pain and PTSD comorbidities in an afternoon panel.

Participants from UTHealth Houston included facilitator Sean I. Savitz, MD, who posed the question of whether AI analysis of expansive electronic health records would produce meaningful findings. Georgene W. Hergenroeder, PhD, stressed the importance of validating and standardizing surveys and assessment tools used in research, and Holger K. Eltzschig, MD, PhD, advised early-career scientists to find the right mentor who cares about their long-term success

Panel participants and presentation topics

Industry panel:

• Gregory F. Maassen, PhD, advisory board member of the?Johns Hopkins Merkin Center, PBS documentary filmmaker, and patient advocate: “Creating Awareness for Peripheral Neuropathy, Nerve Regeneration, and Pain Management”
• Dee Dao, PhD, associate director of the Center for Biotechnology, New York Center for Advanced Technology at State University New York-Stony Brook: “Translating Clinical Insight into Care Delivery Impact”
• Fernanda Laezza, MD, PhD, director of the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine and professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston: “Advancing Precision Pain Therapeutics Through Context-Dependent Pharmacology”
• Marijn Lijffijt, PhD, MBA, CEO, IonTX Inc.: “Congrats: You have a life sciences company. Now what?”
• Panel chair: Carmen W. Dessauer, PhD, John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair and professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at McGovern Medical School

Rigor and reproducibility panel:

• Charles C. Miller, PhD, associate vice president of clinical research and healthcare quality, director of clinical research and evidence-based medicine, and professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School: “Rigor and Reproducibility in the Clinical Research and CTSA K12 Training Programs”
• Patrick M. Dougherty, PhD, professor in the Department of Pain Medicine-Research at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School: “A Neurophysiology Approach to Rigor and Reproducibility in Pain Research”
• Melba A. Hernandez-Tejada, PhD, DHA, associate professor at the School of Behavioral Health Sciences at UTHealth Houston and in the Trauma and Resilience Center of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School: “Integrated Interventions for Pain and PTSD”
• Georgene W. Hergenroeder, PhD, associate professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School: “Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility in SCI Pain Research”
• Holger K. Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and chairman, John P. and Katherine G. McGovern Distinguished University Chair, associate vice president for translational research, and director of the Institute for Perioperative Medicine at McGovern Medical School: “Perioperative Research Programs and Training”
• Panel facilitator: Sean I. Savitz, MD, professor of neurology and Frank M. Yatsu, MD Chair in Neurology at McGovern Medical School and director of the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease
• Discussant: Andrew J. Shepherd, BSc, PhD, associate professor of symptom research at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

Predoctoral/postdoctoral panel

• Hajira Elahi, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center: “Inside-Out: Translational Approaches Reveal Mechanisms of Human Pain”
• Jennifer P. Huynh, BS, MD candidate, McGovern Medical School: “Understanding the Psychosocial Pain Experiences of Older Adult Surgical Patients: A Qualitative Study”
• Dalisa Abdalla, BSN, PhD candidate, Cizik School of Nursing: “Impact of Digital and App-Based Technology on Pain Self-Management and Quality of Life Among Individuals with Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review”
• Chrystine Gallegos, PhD candidate, Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at McGovern Medical School: “Satellite Glial Cell Induced Hyperexcitability of DRG Sensory Neurons”
• Syed Hussain, PhD, MPH, postdoctoral fellow, Cizik School of Nursing: “Beyond Efficacy: Advancing Auricular Point Acupressure for Rural Chronic Pain”
• Facilitator: Muhammad Walji, PhD, D. Bradley McWilliams Professor and chair of the Department of Clinical and Health Informatics in the D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
• Discussant: Edgar T. Walters, PhD, professor, Fondren Chair in Cellular Signaling, and Ray A. and Robert L. Kroc Faculty Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at McGovern Medical School

Event Committee Members

• Janet H. Van Cleave, PhD, RN, FAAN
• Taichi Goto, PhD, RN, PHN
• Jennifer Kawi, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, CNE, FAAN
• Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN
• Consuelo Walss-Bass, PhD
• Edgar T. Walters, PhD
• Carmen W. Dessauer, PhD
• Alya Bafakih
• Fallon Noel, MBA
• Alicia Stubblefield, MBA
• Ghia Tatlonghari, BS
• Jennifer Rodriguez, BS