How does a scientific idea become a reality? How does a research team navigate scientific, funding, and regulatory challenges to make a difference in the lives of patients and communities?

This series of Idea to Impact Case Studies provides a window into successful projects supported by Duke CTSI, revealing both their translational paths and the benefits they are yielding to the healthcare world.

The ADAPTABLE Study: Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-Centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness

Aspirin is a mainstay therapy for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but there are unanswered questions about the best dosage. ADAPTABLE studied the effectiveness and safety of the two most common aspirin doses, and also served as a demonstration project for clinical trials in the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research network (PCORnet), enrolling more than 15,000 participants across multiple sites.

Principal Investigators: Adrian Hernandez, MD, vice dean and executive director, Duke Clinical Research Institute; W. Schuyler Jones, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Duke University School of Medicine

Biopsychosocial Determinants of Pain in Sickle Cell Disease: A Study of the Contributors to Severe Pain, Toward Better Management

Many people with sickle cell disease frequently experience severe pain, and the contributing factors to that symptom have not been fully understood.

This study identified a biomarker that is significantly associated with pain in people with sickle cell disease, offering a new exploratory direction for research.

Principal Investigator: Mitchell Knisely, PhD, RN, Duke University School of Nursing

From Brain Tissue to Blood Tests: Minimally Invasive Biomarker Innovation for Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Given recent successful developments in treatment for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, there is a need for tests that allow early diagnosis and prognosis assessment. Researchers partnered to conduct research to develop minimally invasive tests for earlier disease diagnosis and monitoring severity.

Principal Investigators: Shih-Hsiu “Jerry” Wang, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology at Duke University School of Medicine, and Bin Xu, PhD, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at N.C. Central University.

Maternal Morbidity at Duke and UNC: A Multicenter Examination of Risk Factors

Over the past 30 years, maternal morbidity and mortality rates for pregnant patients in the United States have more than doubled. Rates now exceed other high-income nations, and there are severe disparities in maternal mortality. This research determines the severe maternal morbidity rate (SMM) at Duke and UNC and examines racial and ethnic disparities within those morbidity events.

Principal Investigators: Marie-Louise Meng, MD, Johanna Quist-Nelson, MD

New Option for Treatment of Uterine Fibroids: Engineering Smart Therapeutics

Uterine fibroids are common reproductive-age tumors. More than 80% of Black women and nearly 70% of White women have fibroids by age 50. Currently available interventions are either expensive, difficult to access, or have significant systemic side effects.

Thanks to a collaborative partnership between Duke and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) researchers developed and tested a protective carrier for drug therapeutics to enable a direct local injection into the uterine fibroid. This presents a minimally invasive treatment option for women suffering from uterine fibroids.

Principal Investigators: Darlene Taylor, PhD and Friederike L. Jayes, PhD

Oxysterols for Treatment of Perinatal Brain Injury: A First-In-Class Therapy to Prevent Cerebral Palsy in Premature Infants

Premature infants are at higher risk for brain injuries that can cause lifelong impairments, such as cerebral palsy. This research is developing the first treatment to reverse the damage of these brain injuries, using a molecule found in human breast milk.

Principal Investigator: Eric Benner, MD, PhD, Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

These case studies have been produced using the Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) developed at Washington University. Public health and clinical scientists use this model to demonstrate the impact of their work in the real world. 

Citation: Institute of Clinical & Translational Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Translational Science Benefits Model website. https://translationalsciencebenefits.wustl.edu. Published February 1, 2019. Accessed December 20, 2020.