ORS PSRS 6th International Spine Research Symposium Agenda

*Agenda subject to change.

2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Arrival and Check-in

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Dinner

7:00 PM – 7:10 PM
Welcome & Introductory Comments by Chair
Makarand Risbud, Thomas Jefferson University, USA

7:10 PM – 9:00 PM
Topic: Development and Homeostasis 1

Discussion Leaders:
Christine Le Maitre, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Devina Purmessur, Ohio State University, USA

7:10 PM – 7:20 PM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Christine Le Maitre and Devina Purmessur

7:20 PM – 7:50 PM
Invited Speaker: Anne Camus, Université de Nantes, France
In depth transcriptomic characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived notochordal cells for intervertebral disc regeneration

7:50 PM – 8:20 PM
Invited Speaker: Chitra Dahia, Hospital for Special Surgery, USA
Role of developmental signaling pathways in intervertebral disc development and aging

8:20 PM – 9:00 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Embryonic Notochord Proliferation Increases in the Intervertebral Expansion and Decreases in the Vertebral Fragment
Rose Long, Harvard University, USA

TGF-β Signaling is Required for Sclerotome Resegmentation During Development of the Axial Skeleton
Rosa Serra, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA

Characterising Notochordal and Progenitor Cell Sub-Populations within the Human Nucleus Pulposus
Andra-Maria Ionescu, University of Manchester, UK

GLUT1 is Redundant in Hypoxic and Glycolytic Nucleus Pulposus Cells of the Intervertebral Disc
Shira Johnston, Thomas Jefferson University, USA

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Organizing Committee Welcome Reception

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Topic: Development and Homeostasis 2

Discussion Leaders:
Rosa Serra, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
Fackson Mwale, McGill University, Canada

8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Rosa Serra and Fackson Mwale

8:40 AM – 9:10 AM
Invited Speaker: Ryan Gray, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Regulation of CREB Provides a Feedback Loop for the Homeostasis and Mechanics of Connective Tissues Vital for Spine Alignment

9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Invited Speaker: Makarand Risbud, Thomas Jefferson University, USA
Role of Mitochondria in Intervertebral Disc Health and Disease

9:40 AM – 10:00 AM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

A Role of Biglycan C-terminal Peptide in Regulating Intervertebral Disc Homeostasis
Manyu Zhu, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Single-cell RNA-Seq of Human Cartilage Endplate Cells Identifies Clusters that Drive Healthy and Diseased Phenotypes
Kyle Kuchynsky, Ohio State University, USA

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Break

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Topic: Pain, Pathobiology and Crosstalk 1

Discussion Leaders:
Dino Samartzis, Rush University, USA
Robby Bowles, University of Utah, USA

10:30 AM – 10:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Dino Samartzis and Robby Bowles

10:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Invited Speaker: Frances Williams, King’s College London, UK
Using ‘omics to understand back pain: studies from TwinsUK

11:10 AM – 11:40 AM
Invited Speaker: Danny Chan, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Spatiotemporal proteomics atlas of human intervertebral discs

11:40 AM – 12:00 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Cartilage Endplate Composition and Intervertebral Disc Height: Associations with Disc Degeneration in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain
Noah Bonnheim, University of California San Francisco, USA

Gram Positive Bacteria within the Disc and their Potential Influence on Nucleus Pulposus cells
Andrea Nuesch, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Odd Number Viewing

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Dinner

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
PSRS Lifetime Achievement Awardee Lecture

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Topic: Pain, Pathobiology and Crosstalk 2

Discussion Leaders:
Robert Mauck, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Conor Buckley, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

7:00 PM – 7:10 PM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Robert Mauck and Conor Buckley

7:10 PM – 7:40 PM
Invited Speaker: Laura Stone, University of Minnesota, USA
Epigenetics and Low Back Pain: What is it and why should I care?

7:40 PM – 8:10 PM
Invited Speaker: Nam Vo, University of Pittsburgh, USA
Roles of Lactate in Disc Metabolism and Epigenetic Regulation

8:10 PM – 9:00 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

New Insights into a Cross-Talk between the Muscle and the Intervertebral Disc: the Role of Irisin in Human Nucleopulpocytes In Vitro
Gianluca Vadala, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation of Rome, Italy

Single Cell RNA-Sequence Analyses Reveal Uniquely Expressed Genes and Heterogeneous Immune Cell Involvement in the Rat Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Sade Clayton, Washington University in St. Louis, USA

Spontaneous Intervertebral Disc Herniation Mouse Model Uncovers the Molecular Profiles within the Disc, Dorsal Root Ganglia, and Spinal Cord in Discogenic Pain
Emanuel Novais, Thomas Jefferson University, USA

Global Deletion of SerpinA1a-e Impairs Macrophage Recruitment to the Site of Disc Injury by Enhancing Osteoclast Differentiation
Neharika Bhadouria, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Cell Senescence and Facet Joint Osteoarthritis in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Kai Sheng, McGill University, Canada

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Networking Reception

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast

8:30 AM – 10:10 AM
Topic: Pain, Pathobiology and Crosstalk 3

Discussion Leaders:
Ashish Diwan, University of New South Wales, Australia
Jeffrey Lotz, University of California San Francisco, USA

8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Ashish Diwan and Jeffrey Lotz

8:40 AM – 9:10 AM
Invited Speaker: Cheryle Seguin, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Nuclear Receptors as Potential Mediators of Disc Degeneration

9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Invited Speaker: Lachlan Smith, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Cellular Heterogeneity of the Nucleus Pulposus: Impact of Species, Microenvironment and Treatment

9:40 AM – 10:10 AM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Targeting TRPC6 for Chronic Discogenic Back Pain
Janitri Babu, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Increased Glucose Uptake in the Lumbar Discs with Age and the Impact of Spinal Level: a Retrospective 18F-FDG PET Imaging Study
Christine Park, Duke University, USA

Use of Shock Waves in a Large Animal Model of Degenerative Disc Disease
Andres Bonilla, Colorado State University, USA

10:10 AM – 10:30 AM
Break

10:30 AM – 12:10 PM
Topic: Pathobiology, Imaging and Biomechanics

Discussion Leaders:
Aaron Fields, University of California San Francisco, USA
Larry Bonassar, Cornell University, USA

10:30 AM – 10:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Aaron Fields and Larry Bonassar

10:40 AM – 11:10 AM
Invited Speaker: Simon Tang, Washington University in St Louis, USA
Intervertebral Disc Inflammation: Befriending a Foe    

11:10 AM – 11:40 AM
Invited Speaker: Nadeen Chahine, Columbia University, USA
Intervertebral Disc Inflammatory Activation Induces Severe Degeneration In Vivo

11:40 AM – 12:10 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Diffusion Tensor Imaging visualizes the Effect of Aging on the Spatial Variation in Annulus Fiber and Lamellar Structure In Intact Human Discs
Ron Alkalay, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, USA

Cartilage Endplate Permeability: From In Vitro to In Silico
Ahmad Alminnawi, University of Liege, Belgium

In Vitro Coupled Motions of the Human Thoracic and Lumbar Spine with Rib Cage
Mattan Orbach, Drexel University, USA

12:10 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Optional Scientific Program

BACPAC Workshop (Organized by Jeffrey Lotz and Jeannie Bailey, University of California San Francisco in collaboration with the ORS-Spine Section)
Knowledge Organizing Technologies to Advance Transdisciplinary Back Pain Research

4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Odd Number Poster Viewing

4:45 PM – 5:30 PM
Even Number Poster Viewing   

5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Dinner

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Topic: Biomechanics

Discussion Leaders:
Elise Morgan, Boston University, USA
Sriram Balasubramaniam, Drexel University, USA

7:00 PM – 7:10 PM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Elise Morgan and Sriram Balasubramanian

7:10 PM – 7:40 PM
Invited Speaker: Dawn Elliott, University of Delaware, USA
In Vivo Mechanics of the Intervertebral Disc

7:40 PM – 8:10 PM
Invited Speaker: Theo Smit, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Netherlands
On Growth and Scoliosis

8:10 PM – 8:40 PM
Invited Speaker: Jerome Noailly, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Systems mechanobiology in intervertebral disc modelling: multifactorial cell regulation in an organ context

8:40 PM – 9:10 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Geometric Determinants of the Mechanical Behavior of Intervertebral Disc Models
Ingmar Fleps, Boston University, USA

Modeling the Effects of Hydration on Viscoelastic Properties of Nucleus Pulposus Tissue in Shear and Compression using the Fractional Zener Model
Megan Co, The Ohio State University, USA

The Development of Complex Physiological Loading Profiles for the Study of the Intervertebral Disc
Daniela Lazaro-Pacheco, University of Exeter, UK

9:10 PM – 10:00 PM
Networking Reception

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast

8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Topic: Next Generation Treatments 1

Discussion Leaders:
Gianluca Vadala, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, Italy
Sibylle Grad, AO Foundation, Switzerland

8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Gianluca Vadala

8:40 AM – 9:10 AM
Invited Speaker: Abhay Pandit, University of Galway, Ireland
Understanding the Regenerative Response Induced by Biomaterial Systems: Insights into the Role of Glycosylation

9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Invited Speaker: James Iatridis, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
What needs repairing following annulus fibrosus injury, and can we repair it?

9:40 AM – 10:00 AM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

Mitochondrial Transfer from Mesenchymal stromal cells to intervertebral disc cells
Megan Fahey, Cornell University, USA

Secretome of Mechanically Loaded Intervertebral Discs Influences Stem Cell Immunomodulatory Response
Hagar Kenawy, Columbia University, USA

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Break

10:30 AM – 10:40 AM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Sibylle Grad, AO Research Institute Davos, Switzerland

10:40 AM – 11:10 PM
Invited Speaker: Svenja Illien-Junger, Emory University, USA
PHLPP Inhibition to Promote IVD Health

11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
Short Talk Podium Presentations (10 minutes each)

CRISPR Epigenome Editing of TNFR1 Expression in IVD Cells Prevents Disc Degeneration in In Vivo Rat Models of Degenerative Disc Disease
Joshua Stover, University of Utah, USA

Anti-Inflammatory Tension-Activated Repair Patches Promote Intervertebral Disc Repair after Herniation
Harvey Smith, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Spatial N-glycan Characterisation of a Dog Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration for the Evaluation of Glyco-Functionalised Biomaterials
Kieran Joyce, University of Galway, Ireland

Bone Tissue Engineering via Application of 4D-printed Biomimetic Scaffold for Spinal Fusion
Inbo Han, CHA University, South Korea

MicroRNA Modulation of Regenerative Factors in Nucleus Pulposus Cells in the Intervertebral Disc
Tara Neil, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

Optional programming: TBD

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Even Number Poster Viewing

5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Dinner 

7:00 PM – 8:20 PM
Topic: Next Generation Treatments 2

Discussion Leaders:
Benjamin Gantenbein, University of Bern, Switzerland
Catherine LeVisage, Nantes Université, France

7:00 PM – 7:10 PM
Discussion Leader Lightning Talk by: Benjamin Gantenbein and Catherine LeVisage

7:10 PM – 7:40 PM
Invited Speaker: Raquel Goncalves, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Is there a future for MSC-based IVD therapies?

7:40 PM – 8:10 PM
Invited Speaker: Stephen Richardson, University of Manchester, UK
Understanding human intervertebral disc development: from multi-omic characterisation to bioprinted tissue analogues

8:10 PM – 8:30 PM
ORS PSRS Awards Ceremony and Closing Remarks

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Breakfast

11:00 AM
Check-out