VCURES Investigators Present Findings at DARPA Metabolic Engineering for Cellular Stasis Meeting.

Dr. R. Wayne Barbee and Eric Edwards presented the work VCURES is performing in the area of metabolic down-regulation at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Metabolic Engineering for Cellular Stasis principal investigator meeting. Last year VCURES was funded by DARPA to examine a metabolic down regulation strategy that would reduce the body’s need for oxygen in the setting of traumatic shock. The strategy is envisioned to turn the “golden hour” into a golden 3-4 hours or longer thus enhancing survival especially in the battlefield setting where evacuation and treatment times can be significantly increased.

The DARPA meeting held February 25-27, 2003 in Santa Fe NM, focused on a select group of investigators that it funded to address critical issues of cellular stasis. These issues range from developing novel means to increase the storage life of blood products to enhancing survival of whole organs and the body after acute injury.

Participants in the study include:

R. Wayne Barbee, PhD: Principal Investigator, Senior VCURES Investigator, and Assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Physiology.
Eric Edwards: Senior Project Technician: VCURES and VCU Department of Emergency Medicine
Robert Diegelmann PhD: Senior VCURES Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry and Emergency Medicine
Melissa Evans MD: Pediatric Critical Care Fellow
Sue Sreedhar MD: Associate Professor of Pediatrics
John Mickell MD: Professor of Pediatrics and Chair Division of Pediatric Critical Care
Rao Ivatury MD: Professor of Surgery, Emergency Medicine and Physiology and Associate VCURES Director
Rakesh Kukreja, PhD: Professor of Medicine and Emergency Medicine: Senior VCURES Investigator
Bruce Spiess, MD: Professor of Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine: Director of VCURES
Neri Cohen, MD: Assistant Professor of Surgery and VCURES Senior Investigator
Kevin R. Ward, MD: Co-Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Physiology and VCURES Associate Director.

Dr. Barbee noted that the presentation was extremely well received and that participants were excited about the approach VCURES is taking to this problem. VCURES is planning to expand its research in this important area. For more information please contact VCURES.