Cannabis terpenes, CAMI and long COVID: U of A Health Sciences’ top news releases of 2024

This year, the University of Arizona Health Sciences published research on the potential of cannabis terpenes for pain relief, reported on new findings in the areas of long COVID-19 and pesticide exposure, and broke ground on the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies in Phoenix. From investigating significant health care challenges to preparing the next generation of workers for careers in health care fields, U of A Health Sciences physician-scientists, researchers, staff and students worked to foster healthier communities.

Here are the top U of A Health Sciences news releases of 2024:

Study shows cannabis terpenes may relieve chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (May 28)

A U of A Health Sciences study published in the journal PAIN found that Cannabis sativa terpenes were as effective as morphine at reducing chronic neuropathic pain and a combination of the two analgesics further enhanced pain relief without negative side effects.

“A question that we’ve been very interested in is could terpenes be used to manage chronic pain?” said lead researcher John Streicher, PhD, a member of the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction and a professor of pharmacology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson. “What we found is that terpenes are really good at relieving a specific type of chronic pain with side effects that are low and manageable.”

Poor sleep linked to migraine attacks in new U of A Health Sciences study (March 13)

A U of A Health Sciences study identified a link between poor sleep and migraine attacks that suggests improving sleep health may diminish migraine attacks in people with migraine.

“It has been recognized for quite a long time that there is a relationship between sleep and migraine,” said principal investigator Frank Porreca, PhD, research director for the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction and professor of pharmacology at the College of Medicine – Tucson. “The way it has been investigated in the past has been through patient-reported information, which is subjective. We quantitatively measured sleep in preclinical models and found that migraine-like pain does not influence sleep, but if you have disrupted sleep, your chances of having a migraine attack if you’re a migraine patient are much higher.”

Pesticide exposure linked to stillbirth risk in new study (Aug. 6)

Living less than about one-third of a mile from pesticide use prior to conception and during early pregnancy could increase the risk of stillbirths, according to new research led by researchers at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy.

“In this study, some specific ingredients stood out due to their significant associations with stillbirth risk,” said first author Melissa Furlong, PhD, an assistant professor and environmental epidemiologist at the Zuckerman College of Public Health and a member of the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center at the Coit College of Pharmacy. “These findings underscore the importance of considering individual pesticides rather than just the overall pesticide class, as specific chemical compounds may pose unique risks. It also highlights the potential for pre-pregnancy exposures to affect reproductive outcomes.”

Study shows first evidence of sex differences in how pain can be produced (June 10)

Research suggests that males and females differ in their experience of pain, but up until now, no one knew why. In a U of A Health Sciences study published in BRAIN, researchers became the first to identify functional sex differences in nociceptors, the specialized nerve cells that produce pain. The findings support the implementation of a precision medicine-based approach that considers patient sex as fundamental to the choice of treatment for managing pain.

“Conceptually, this paper is a big advance in our understanding of how pain may be produced in males and females,” said Frank Porreca, PhD, research director for the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction and professor of pharmacology at the College of Medicine – Tucson. “The outcomes of our study were strikingly consistent and support the remarkable conclusion that nociceptors, the fundamental building blocks of pain, are different in males and females. This provides an opportunity to treat pain specifically and potentially better in men or women, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

U of A Health Sciences breaks ground on the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies (Oct. 30)

Construction is underway on the new building that will house the U of A Health Sciences Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, in downtown Phoenix. CAMI will anchor an innovation district that aims to establish the Phoenix Bioscience Core as a hub of cell- and gene-based therapy research, startup activity and corporate engagement. 

“The dream of CAMI started to become a reality with initial support from the Arizona Board of Regents’ New Economy Initiative. Additional funding from the state, county and city, as well as philanthropic donations, has made this important step forward possible. We are grateful to everyone who has supported CAMI’s mission and to McCarthy+SmithGroup for helping bring our vision to life,” said Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for the U of A Health Sciences. “Through CAMI, we will be able to capitalize on the research and expertise at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and become a national leader in advanced immunotherapies research and treatments.”

The mind after midnight: Study shows disrupted sleep increases risk for suicide and homicide (May 29)

An analysis by researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Medicine – Tucson showed that risks for death by suicide and homicide peak at night, with nocturnal wakefulness, age, alcohol use and relationship conflicts being especially prevalent as contributing factors. Nearly 19% of suicides and 36% of homicides occur at night. Suicide and homicide share little in common, but their highly concordant overnight risk patterns suggest a common feature: nocturnal wakefulness.

“Disrupted sleep may acutely impair rational thought, which can drive impulsive behaviors in vulnerable individuals,” said first author Andrew Tubbs, MD, PhD, a researcher in the Sleep and Health Research Program at the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Psychiatry. “Our analysis of 15 years of data across the U.S. showed that there is a fivefold greater risk for suicide and an eightfold greater risk for homicide between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. when adjusting for the number of people who are awake and capable of suicide or homicide.”

New therapeutic target for cardiac arrhythmias emerges (Oct. 3)

A study by researchers at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and the University of California Davis Health identified a new target for developing a therapy to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation, commonly called AFib or AF, causes about 1 in 7 strokes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is associated with a significant increase in the risk of morbidity and mortality. More than 12 million people are expected to have AFib by 2030, according to the American Heart Association, and current treatment paradigms remain inadequate, researchers say.

“Our study used pioneering experimental and computational approaches to decipher how the human SK2 channel can be dynamically co-regulated. The study is especially timely considering inhibitors of SK channels are currently in clinical trials to treat AFib, making further insight into their regulatory mechanisms paramount,” said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, MD, chair of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. 

Research shows altered regulation of genes linked to prostate cancer among firefighters (May 7)

Firefighters may have an increased risk of prostate cancer due to on-the-job chemical exposures, according to new research from the Zuckerman College of Public Health and University of Michigan in collaboration with fire service partners and researchers around the country through the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study.

“With these published findings, we have clear evidence of the health risks that firefighters face due to cumulative exposure on the job,” said Jeff Burgess, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research, member of the BIO5 Institute and a professor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Study finds large gaps in mental health care for people with chronic pain (June 29)

A U of A Health Sciences study found that adults with chronic pain are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression than people without chronic pain, yet they access mental health care at lower rates and are less likely to have their mental health needs met in treatment.

“People living with chronic pain may form a distinct population with special mental health care needs,” said lead author Jennifer S. De La Rosa, PhD, strategy director for the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction, which funded the study, and an assistant professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Improving outcomes for people with chronic pain will include connecting more people to mental health care, as well as increasing the availability of mental health care that is responsive to their needs.”

New study highlights scale and impact of long COVID (Aug. 2)

In a new review paper, researchers from the Universities of Arizona, Oxford and Leeds analyzed dozens of previous studies into long COVID to examine the number and range of people affected, the underlying mechanisms of disease, the many symptoms that patients develop, and current and future treatments.

“Long COVID is a devastating disease with a profound human toll and socioeconomic impact,” said Janko Nikolich, MD, PhD, senior author of the paper, director of the Aegis Consortium at the U of A Health Sciences, professor and head of the Department of Immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, and BIO5 Institute member. “By studying it in detail, we hope to both understand the mechanisms and to find targets for therapy against this, but potentially also other infection-associated complex chronic conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.”

U of A College of Nursing receives $1.6M grant to support Indigenous students (Aug. 27)

Indigenous students pursuing nursing careers at the U of A College of Nursing will benefit from additional financial support thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service. The grant will fund the successful Indians in Nursing: Career Advancement and Transition Scholars, or INCATS, program for another five years. The program provides Indigenous students at the U of A College of Nursing with financial support for tuition, fees and a living stipend.

“This grant provides critical resources that not only support our Indigenous nursing scholars but also help us connect with tribal communities in Arizona to strengthen the tribal nursing workforce,” said Timian Godfrey, DNP, an associate clinical professor at the College of Nursing and director of the INCATS program.

Study identifies potential pathway to reducing breast cancer brain metastases (June 6)

A study led by researchers from the Cancer Center at the U of A Health Sciences identified a biological mechanism that could lead to more effective treatments for breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain. By studying the metabolic differences between primary breast cancer cells and those that metastasize to the brain, they determined that autophagy was significantly upregulated in brain metastases. Autophagy is a cellular recycling process that cancer cells can use to stay alive when faced with stressful conditions such as those triggered by anticancer drugs.

“The prognosis for individuals with brain metastases from breast cancer is extremely unfavorable, and the management of breast cancer metastases in the brain remains a formidable challenge,” said senior author Jennifer Carew, PhD, a professor of medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson and a member of the Cancer Center's Clinical and Translational Oncology Program. “We were able to disrupt breast cancer cells’ ability to form brain metastases by impairing the autophagy pathway.”

Study identifies potential new drug for Parkinson’s-related cognitive decline, dementia (Nov. 19)

A published study by researchers at the U of A Health Sciences found that a tiny protein called PNA5 appears to have a protective effect on brain cells, which could lead to treatments for the cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

“When patients are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, 25% to 30% already have mild cognitive impairment. As the disorder progresses into its later stages, 50% to 70% of patients complain of cognitive problems,” said Lalitha Madhavan, MD, PhD, an associate professor of neurology at the College of Medicine – Tucson and BIO5 member. “The sad part is we don’t have a clear way to treat cognitive decline or dementia in Parkinson’s disease.”

Research shows protein isoform inhibitors may hold the key to making opioids safer (July 16)

Researchers at the U of A Health Sciences identified a new way to make opioids safer, increasing the pain-relieving properties of opioids while decreasing unwanted side effects through the spinal inhibition of a Heat shock protein 90 isoform.

“We have been investigating the role of Heat shock protein 90 in regulating opioid signaling in the spinal cord for some time,” said John Streicher, PhD, member of the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction and a professor in the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Pharmacology. “This study provides proof of principle that Hsp90 isoform inhibitors are effective at improving opioid pain relief and reducing side effects. This is the critical link that makes our work translationally relevant, giving us a clear path forward to develop a new drug that could benefit millions of people who live with chronic pain.”

Can magnetic pulses aimed at the brain treat insomnia? (Oct. 31)

Traditional solutions for sleep disorders, including medications and cognitive behavioral therapies, often provide insufficient relief for military personnel. It is a problem researchers from the College of Medicine – Tucson are hoping to solve with a $3 million grant from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

“Insomnia is generally believed to be caused, at least in part, by excessive arousal of the brain and body, which is often associated with worry and excessive pre-sleep negative and arousing thoughts,” said William “Scott” Killgore, PhD, a BIO5 Institute member who will lead the study with his team in the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, or SCAN, Lab in the Department of Psychiatry. “By investigating how different areas of the brain respond to continuous theta burst stimulation, we hope to fine-tune this approach for maximum effectiveness. Our aim is to see whether we can improve sleep in the short term and if these improvements can be sustained following treatment.”