TTUHSC Surgery Burn Center of Research Excellence (BCoRE)

Mission statement:

To be a Center for Excellence in Research covering the entire spectrum of burn injury, from microscopic alterations at the cellular level to the clinical care of the whole person to the impact of burn injuries on society. This includes injury prevention, disaster planning, initial response and resuscitation, critical care, pain control, infectious complications, nutrition, surgical management, wound care, psychosocial issues and long term rehabilitation.

Goals:

To facilitate collaboration in basic science and clinical research across the disciplines of microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, surgery, nursing, physical therapy, psychology and occupational therapy, in order to:

Increase the scientific knowledge related to burn injuries and resulting complications
Develop new tools and strategies for the clinical care of acutely injured patients
Describe epidemiologic characteristics of burn injuries
Develop protocols for injury prevention and disaster/ mass casualty planning
Investigate novel strategies in the management of acute and chronic wounds
Create effective and integrated protocols for pain control, stress disorder, long term rehabilitation and transition to regular life post- burn injury

Objectives:

Develop research collaborations between clinical and basic science departments within TTUHSC
Develop research collaborations between TTUHSC and UMC
Broaden the impact of our scientific work through publications, presentations at national meetings and collaborations with outside institutions involved in burn research

Faculty:

Sharmila Dissanaike MD (Co-director)
Kendra Rumbaugh, PhD (Co-director)

John Griswold, MD (Assistant Director),
Abdul Hamood, PhD,
Randy Wolcott, MD

Ari Halldorsson, MD,
Jenna Kesey, FNP,
Lacy Phillips, RN,
Wendi McNabb, RN

Background:

bcore The topic of burns and wounds has been a fertile ground for research at TTUHSC for several years, with multiple peer reviewed publications and presentations at national and international meetings. The burn research program has also facilitated the involvement of TTUHSC faculty, residents, medical students and undergraduates in basic science and clinical research, providing the first research opportunity for many junior investigators. The designation as a TTUHSC Research Center of Excellence will serve to recognize these efforts both intra and extramurally, as well as develop the basic and clinical science infrastructure in order to be competitive for grant funding at both local and national levels. Formalization as a center will also facilitate access by students from all schools at TTUHSC as well as promote collaboration with outside organizations and individuals. Finally, a designated center of excellence will promote national recognition of the scientific work being done at TTUHSC and help recruit talented individuals interested in this area of research at all levels.

Burn care has historically been a multidisciplinary field from its inception as a separate specialty in the 1950s, with physicians, nurses, wound care technicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and psychologists being recognized as equally important to the well-being of the burned patient. Perhaps in no other field of medicine is the concept of a team approach so firmly embedded. This is evident even at the national level with the American Burn Association (ABA) leadership comprised of representation from all specialties. This approach is well suited to translational research and collaboration, and is a likely factor in the high research productivity of the burn center despite a relatively small core physician faculty.

BCoRE Related Activities:

Dr. Sharmila Dissanaike

Principal Investigator, Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health /UMC Women’s Health Research Scholar Grant “Gender Disparity in Burn Injury Survival”. 2013-2015, $20,000

Contamination of Unused, Nonsterile Gloves in the Critical Care Setting: A Comparison of Bacterial Glove Contamination in Medical, Surgical and Burn Intensive Care Units. Hall M, Trivedi U, Rumbaugh K, Dissanaike S*. Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles, 2014 Jan 2(5)

Is automated electronic surveillance for healthcare associated infections accurate in the burn unit? Venable A, Long J, Dissanaike S*. J Burn Care Res. 2013 Nov-Dec;34(6):591-7

A protocol of early aggressive tube feeding increases ileus without perceptible benefit in severely burned patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S*. J Burn Care Res. 2013 Sep-Oct;34(5):515-20

The association of pneumonia with clinical outcome in patients with inhalation injury. Dissanaike S*, Cox S, Arrieta S. Surgical Science, 2013 4(1):7-14 DOI: 10.4236/ss.2013.41002

Does the cost of air transfer and over-triage justify a modification in ABA transfer criteria? Kashefi N, Dissanaike S. North Texas Chapter of American College of Surgeons Meeting Dallas TX February 21st, 2014
Comparison of kaolin based hemostatic dressing to epinephrine in hemostasis in burn surgery. Puckett Y, Abdul-Hamed S, Dissanaike S. North Texas Chapter of American College of Surgeons Meeting Dallas TX February 21-22nd, 2014
Indocyanine green fluorescence as a non-invasive means to assess burn severity. Abdul-Hamed S, Griswold J, Dissanaike S. North Texas Chapter of American College of Surgeons Meeting Dallas TX February 21-22nd, 2014
The Effects of Vitamin C on Point-of-Care Glucose Monitoring. Sartor Z, Kesey J, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Boston March 26th 2013
The Effects of Vitamin C on Point-of-Care Glucose Monitoring. Sartor Z, Kesey J, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Boston March 26th 2013
Factors associated with poor outcome in necrotizing soft tissue infections. Levy B, Witt C, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Nebulized Heparin – N Acetylcysteine does not improve outcomes in inhalation injury. Kashefi N, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013 and North Texas Chapter of American College of Surgeons Meeting Dallas TX February 16th 2013
Complications of virtual reality for pain control in the burn population. Martin H, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Infection Surveillance Techniques in the burn ICU. Venable A, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Ileus as an outcome of aggressive nutrition in burn patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S. Society for Critical Care Medicine Annual Meeting, Puerto Rico, January 23rd 2013 and American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Aggressive nutrition protocol using early initiation and high gastric residual volume in severely burned patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S. Southern Region Burn Meeting, Norfolk VA November 16th 2012
The ups and downs of glycemic control in adult burn patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S, Griswold JA. Southern Region Burn Meeting, Norfolk VA November 16th 2012
Complications of virtual reality for pain control in the burn population. Martin H, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Infection Surveillance Techniques in the burn ICU. Venable A, Dissanaike S. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Ileus as an outcome of aggressive nutrition in burn patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S. Society for Critical Care Medicine Annual Meeting, Puerto Rico, January 23rd 2013 and American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Palm Springs CA April 25th 2013
Aggressive nutrition protocol using early initiation and high gastric residual volume in severely burned patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S. Southern Region Burn Meeting, Norfolk VA November 16th 2012
The ups and downs of glycemic control in adult burn patients. Kesey J, Dissanaike S, Griswold JA. Southern Region Burn Meeting, Norfolk VA November 16th 2012

Burn Professional: Pharmaceutical Industry Interaction – the Ethical Perspective. American Burn Association Annual Meeting, Boston MA March 28th 2014

Dr. Abdul Hamood

Kruczek C, Qaisar U, Colmer-Hamood JA, Hamood AN. 2013. Serum influences the expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing genes and QS-controlled virulence genes during early and late stages of growth. MicrobiologyOpen. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.147 (Epub ahead of print).

Kyle G. Miller, Phat L. Tran, Cecily L. Haley, Matt Myntti, Jane A. Colmer-Hamood, and Abdul N. Hamood. A Novel Agent That Inhibits Biofilm Development by Gram-positive and Gram-negative Wound Pathogens (submitted).

CH Foundation: Abdul Hamood (PI), 01/01/2014-12/30/2014, Title: A Potential Therapy for Burn Wound Infections

Dr. John Griswold

Coleman A, McGill T, Griswold J, Gard R, Holmes J: “Innovative Technique for Coverage of Neonatal Giant Abdominal Wall Defects.” American Pediatric Surgical Association, San Antonio, TX, May 20-23, 2012. (Poster)

Simoni J, Castillo JX, Simoni P, Moeller JF, Simoni G, Tomison MD, Campbell SJ, Griswold JA: “Effects of hemodilution with crystalloids and colloids on RBC vasodilatory signaling and oxygen affinity.” American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO), San Francisco, CA, June 14-16, 2012

Vugrin M, Field DK, Edwards P, Gassett C, Shippey S, Griswold J, Dentino A: “Collaborative Efforts in Information Literacy - The Library and Clinical Clerkships: Surgery, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.” Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), San Francisco, CA, November 2-7, 2012 (Poster)

Kesey J, Dissanaike SD, Griswold JA: “The Ups and Downs of Glycemic Control in Adult Burn Patients.” Southern Region burn Conference, Norfolk, VA, November 16-18, 2012

Griswold J: Why Diabetic Wounds Do Not Heal. Texas Heart Institute Journal. 39 (6): 860-861, 2012

Watters C, Deleon K, Trivedi U, Griswold JA, Lyte M, Hampel KJ, Wargo MJ, Rumbaugh KP: Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms perturb wound resolution and antibiotic tolerance in diabetic mice. Medical Microbiology and Immunology. 202:131-141, 2013

Schmitz B, Griswold JA: “Airway Management in Burn Patients”, Airway Management. Benumof & Hagberg 3rd edition. 2013, 44: pp 902-909

Trauma Symposium - Midland, TX, 2012. “Intensive Insulin Therapy”
ABA presentation - Seattle, WA, 2012. “Utilization of Molecular Sequencing Methods to Characterize the Microflora of Burn Wounds During Initial Hospital Admission”

Austin Trauma & Critical Care Conf - Austin, TX, 2012. “American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP)”

Austin Trauma & Critical Care Conf - Austin, TX, 2012. “Escharotomy: when & how?

DeBakey-Cooley Symposium - Austin, TX, 2012. “Oil Exploration & Why Diabetic Wounds Do Not Heal: It’s Not Just Blood Supply!

Dr. Kendra Rumbaugh

Bjarnsholt T, Buhlin K, Dufrêne YF, Gomelsky M, Moroni A, Ramstedt M, Rumbaugh KP, Schulte T, Sun L, Åkerlund B, Römling U. Biofilm formation - What we can learn from recent developments. J Intern Med. 2018 Jun 1. doi: 10.1111/joim.12782. PMID: 29856510

Cornforth DM, Dees JL, Ibberson CB, Huse HK, Mathiesen IH, Kirketerp-Møller K, Wolcott RD, Rumbaugh KP, Bjarnsholt T, Whiteley M. Pseudomonas aeruginosa transcriptome during human infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 May 29;115(22):E5125-E5134. PMID: 29856510

Everett J, Gabrilska R, Rumbaugh KP, Vikström E. Assessing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Autoinducer Effects on Mammalian Epithelial Cells. Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1673:213-225. PMID: 29130176

Hamerly T, Everett JA, Paris N, Fisher ST, Karunamurthy A, James GA, Rumbaugh KP, Rhoads DD, Bothner B. Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biomarkers from thermally injured mice in situ using imaging mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem. 2017 Oct 28;539:144-148. PMID:29107579

Smith A.C, Rice A., Sutton R.B., Gabrilska R., Wessel A.K., Whiteley M., and Rumbaugh K.P. Albumin inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing and alters polymicrobial interactions. Infect Immun. 2017 Jun 19. pii: IAI.00116-17. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00116-17. PMID: 28630071

Watters C, Everett JA, Haley C, Clinton A, Rumbaugh KP. Insulin Treatment Modulates the Host Immune System To Enhance Pseudomonas aeruginosa Wound Biofilms. Infect Immun. 2014 Jan;82(1):92-100.

Filiatrault MJ, Tombline G, Wagner VE, Van Alst N, Rumbaugh K, Sokol P, Schwingel J, Iglewski BH. 2013. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA1006, Which Plays a Role in Molybdenum Homeostasis, Is Required for Nitrate Utilization, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence. PLoS One.8(2):e55594. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055594. Epub 2013 Feb 8. PMID:23409004

A. Korgaonkar , U. Trivedi , K.P. Rumbaugh , M. Whiteley. 2013. Community surveillance enhances P. aeruginosa virulence during polymicrobial infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jan 15;110(3):1059-64. PMID:23277552

Watters C., Deleon K., Trivedi U., Griswold J.A., Lyte M., Hampel K.J., Wargo M.J., Rumbaugh K.P. 2013. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms perturb wound resolution and antibiotic tolerance in diabetic mice. Med Med Microbiol Immunol. 2013 Apr;202(2):131-41. (recommended by F1000)

2013 14th International Conference on Pseudomonas (Lausanne, Switzerland). Profiling Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infections with high-throughput genomic methods. K.H. Turner, U. Trivedi, K. Rumbaugh and M. Whiteley. Selected for Oral Presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). Chemotaxis contributes to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in a thermally injured mouse model of infection. J Everett, K Turner, M Whitely, and K Rumbaugh. Samuel Kaplan Award (1stplace poster presentation)

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). The Effects of Albumin on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing in the Chronic Wound Environment. A Clinton, J Chavez, Y Mechref, K Rumbaugh. Samuel Kaplan Award (2nd place poster presentation)

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). Antibiotic Resistance in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Wounds. U Trivedi, S Parameswaran, A Armstrong, S Dissanaike and K Rumbaugh . Poster presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). The Role of Clostridium perfringens in Multi-Species Wound Biofilms. H Sparks, S DeLeon, A Clinton and K Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 American College of Surgeons (Washington, DC) and American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). α-Amylase Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms. D Fleming, U Trivedi and K Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Orleans, LA). Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing in chronic wound infections. AR Cueva, A Armstrong, J Everett, D Fleming, K Turner, M Whiteley and K Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). Is quorum sensing involved in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic wound infections? Armstrong A., Haley C., Chavez J., Mechref Y., KP Rumbaugh. Poster presentation, Orville Wyss Award for Medical Microbiology, First Place.

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). α-Amylase Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms. Fleming D., Trivedi U., K.P Rumbaugh. Poster presentation, Orville Wyss Award for Medical Microbiology, Honorable Mention.

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). Insulin treatment modifies the mammalian immune response to enhance Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound biofilms. Watters, C., Haley, C., Clinton, A., Rumbaugh, K. P. Charlie Gauntt Award, 2nd place for outstanding oral presentation.

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). Inhibition of quorum sensing in a wound-like environment prevents Pseudomonas aeruginosa from killing Staphylococcus aureus. Clinton A., DeLeon S., Chavez J., Mechref Y., KP Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). Pseudomonas aeruginosa chemotaxis towards serum in a thermally injured mouse model of infection. Everett J. and KP Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 American Society for Microbiology (New Braunsfels, TX). Interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in dual-species wound biofilms. DeLeon S., Fowler H., Clinton A., KP Rumbaugh. Poster presentation

2013 TTUHSC Student Research Day. Serum Albumin Influences Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Jamerson J., Clinton A., Rumbaugh, K. P. Poster presentation, won 1st place for junior medical student competition

2013 TTUHSC Student Research Day. Utilization of Molecular Sequencing Methods to Characterize the Microflora of Burn Wounds During Initial Hospital Admission. Parameswaran S., Trivedi U., Rumbaugh K., Dowd S., Vega D., Wolcott R., Dissanaike S., Griswold G. Poster presentation

2013 CHD Bioscience, Fort Collins, CO. “Treatments for Common Wounds.” Invited seminar

Extramural awards funded

Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health (Rumbaugh, Co-PI) 2013-1015 $20,000 “Gender Disparity in Burn Injury Survival”
Army Research Office (Rumbaugh, Sub-contract PI; Whiteley, PI) 2013-2017 $194,981 (total subcontract) “Polymicrobial virulence mechanisms in chronic wounds”
CHD Bioscience (Rumbaugh, PI) 2013-2014 $15,100 “Preclinical efficacy study of Veriox to treat chronic wound infections”

Grants submitted and pending approval

NIH/NIAID R15 (Rumbaugh, PI) $448,435 “Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Interspecies Interactions in Wounds”
NIH/NIAID R21 (Rumbaugh, Subcontract-PI) $188,586 (total subcontract) “Genetic determinants of bacterial fitness in polymicrobial wound infections”

Grants submitted but not funded

NIH/NIAID STTR (Rumbaugh, Sub-contract PI; Kaufmann, PI) $305,529 (total subcontract) “Recombinant Human Anti-Pseudomonas Polyclonal Antibodies As Anti-Infectives”

Burn Center of Research Excellence (BCoRE)