Each day, physicians are working to answer some of medicine’s biggest questions: Can a new therapy help patients recover more quickly? Can it reduce debilitating symptoms? Can it prevent injuries or disease progression?
These questions drive a growing portfolio of clinical research at Ochsner Baton Rouge. From helping people resume active lifestyles to advancing liver disease treatment and reducing hospital visits for patients with chronic lung disorders, the results are improving recovery times, enhancing quality of life and bringing new therapies to patients.
“The term we use in sports medicine is ‘return to performance.’ Some people want to get back to athletic competition. Some want to run or lift weights again. No matter their goals, we want to get them back to a high level of performance, not just the bare minimum,” said Jeremy Burnham, MD, sports medicine surgeon, Ochsner Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute at Elite Training Complex – Burbank.
“That sets the bar higher for us,” Dr. Burnham said. “It’s about curiosity, asking questions and not being hesitant to do research. That is the culture we are building here.”
Keeping patients moving through smarter orthopedic research
Not long ago, Dr. Burnham and his team at Elite Training Complex brought a girls’ soccer team – about 30 players – for extensive testing at the complex’s 3D motion capture lab. Using specialized cameras, force plates and advanced computer analysis, they examined each player’s movement patterns to identify which were more likely to suffer an ACL tear, one of the most common and debilitating knee injuries, requiring up to a year of recovery.
“One major research domain is about preventing injuries. That is the holy grail and has the highest upside,” Dr. Burnham said. “ACL injury research has already told us how someone is more likely to have a tear if their knee or hip is in a certain position. Our work now is about applying that research to injury prevention. We are never going to eliminate every injury, but if we can make a meaningful reduction, that is a huge win.”
Jeremy Burnham, MD, Sports Medicine Surgeon, Ochsner Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute at Elite Training Complex – Burbank
Ochsner Baton Rouge was also a leader in a 10-year study on patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is pain at the front of the knee, around the kneecap. It showed that people with the condition were more likely to tear an ACL. Additional studies have explored how high school athletes’ lower extremity movements affect their injury risks, whether surgeons and OR staff experience more fatigue and pain after wearing a lead apron during surgeries and how physical therapy compliance affects outcomes.
Dr. Burnham said the data from these studies can guide clinical decisions and prevention strategies, whether someone is a teen gymnast, a professional football player or a retired adult who enjoys daily walks around the neighborhood.
“People expect to have much more mobility at all ages. That drives us to find new technologies to keep people healthy and moving,” Dr. Burnham said. “We treat people from ages 10 to 95 who are active at all different levels. We try to meet the patient where they are and help them achieve their individual goals.”
Dr. Burnham and his team’s other research involves helping people recover faster after being injured. Increasingly, that means harnessing the patient’s own biological power, using softer materials that better mimic bones and tissue, and using minimally invasive procedures to reduce disruption in the body.
In one of the most promising clinical studies, Ochsner Baton Rouge surgeons have used amniotic tissue in ACL reconstruction. The tissue is filled with growth factors and has been shown to help patients heal from wounds and other types of surgeries.
“Our interim analysis shows that patients who received the additional amniotic tissue recovered 20 to 30% faster and more effectively after ACL surgery than patients who did not. If that analysis holds, it shows that this method can give patients a tremendous edge in their recovery,” Dr. Burnham said.
One key principle in orthopedics at Ochsner Baton Rouge is to restore a person’s natural anatomy after an injury as much as possible. That has guided a recent clinical trial using OSSIOfiber. This implant material gradually integrates with a person’s natural bone and has shown early promise in repairing fractures and strengthening weak bones.
“This kind of research helps us move beyond assumptions and toward evidence,” Dr. Burnham said. “Instead of relying only on what has traditionally been done, studies like this allow us to carefully assess whether an innovation truly benefits patients in a meaningful way.”
New research gives hope, potential relief to rare liver disease patients
“While doctors have long studied common liver cancer and other liver diseases, there has historically been less research around rare diseases that affect the liver,” said Hrishikesh V. Samant, MD, hepatologist, Ochsner Health Center–O’Neal. That is changing at Ochsner Baton Rouge, which is becoming a national destination for breakthrough clinical trials involving patients from Louisiana and surrounding states.
Hrishikesh V. Samant, MD, Hepatologist, Ochsner Health Center-O’Neal
“Chronic liver disease leads to significant symptoms that affect a person’s quality of life; yet, we have long struggled with therapies and research. We have stepped into that space, and Ochsner Baton Rouge has become a leader in the state conducting studies focused on rare liver diseases,” said Dr. Samant.
One key study is the five-year VLX-601 trial, which is evaluating a new therapy to treat severe itching associated with primary biliary cholangitis, or PBC, a chronic autoimmune liver disease. The trial is also examining how itching may impact PBC’s progression.
“Itching can have a major impact on a person’s sleep and daily activities. Our research is focused on finding better ways to help patients manage and control it,” Dr. Samant said. “Anytime we start a trial, we make sure the patients understand the process, the potential benefits and the potential risks. Most patients with liver disease are interested in a clinical trial. They are looking for relief, and we hope research like this can provide that.”
FERROCLEAR, a second investigation at Ochsner Baton Rouge, is focused on patients with homeostatic iron regulatory gene-related hereditary hemochromatosis, or HFE-HHH. The common genetic disease causes excess iron buildup in the body, potentially damaging vital organs including the liver.
“Our work now is about proof-of-concept medications. The overall goal is to improve how the disease is managed over time and how patients can better control their iron levels, perhaps even with just a tablet,” Dr. Samant said.
As Ochsner Baton Rouge expands its research, the hepatology department is working on adding studies focused on fatty liver diseases, liver cancer and other conditions that are prevalent in Louisiana.
“Ochsner has always supported research and understands that it is a team approach,” he said. “You cannot be a successful researcher as one physician. You need other clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, coordinators and other departments. We are poised to be successful here because we have that framework. That lets us focus on the work that will help patients lead better lives.”
Targeted therapies redefine expectations for COPD care
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a leading cause of emergency room visits in the United States with many large hospitals treating dozens of patients each day. The disease causes restricted air flow and increased mucus production, making it difficult for patients to breathe, especially during flare-ups.
Yet, it has been only in the past decade that researchers have identified inflammatory pathways involved in certain forms of COPD. These discoveries have opened the door for studies on targeted antibody therapies already used in asthma treatment that may also benefit some COPD patients.
Alexander K. Mulamula, MD, Pulmonologist, Ochsner Health Center-O’Neal
“This research is happening at the same time that doctors are changing their expectations about quality of life for COPD patients,” said Alexander K. Mulamula, MD, pulmonologist, Ochsner Health Center – O’Neal. “Historically, we said it was standard for someone with COPD to have four or five flare-ups in a year. Now, we are saying we need to think about prescribing them a biologic – a newer, targeted therapy that focuses on specific molecules or pathways involved in COPD flare-ups or progression – if they have one or two flare-ups per year.”
Multiple clinical trials at Ochsner Baton Rouge are exploring whether certain injectable medications can interrupt the inflammatory processes that trigger COPD progression and improve long-term lung function. The OBERON and PROSPERO studies are evaluating a first-in-class monoclonal antibody for people with certain forms of moderate to severe COPD, while SEABREEZE evaluates how well a next-generation human monoclonal antibody works during a severe COPD flare-up.
“The OBERON study has been very promising. We have had six patients who showed improved lung function,” Dr. Mulamula said. “These studies are using new science to help us better understand how to treat COPD patients with certain traits. We are already seeing how beneficial these medications can be.”
Two more studies at Ochsner Baton Rouge, VIGILANT and ENDURA, are exploring the potential impacts of earlier treatment and add-on medications.
“Anytime you can stabilize someone who has chronic respiratory failure and give them a better quality of life, it changes everything for them,” Dr. Mulamula said. “As science improves, I think the research processes will occur faster and bring cures much closer to patients. It’s very rejuvenating and inspiring to be a part of that progress right here in Baton Rouge.”
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit .