Xin Li, PhD
Xin Li, PhD, the Richard F. Edlich Professor of Biomedical Research and research director in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial, and Oral Health, was awarded a new $3.9 million from NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to study succinate signaling for innovative pain relief in oral cancer.
Dr. Li’s research aims to elucidate how the metabolic signaling molecule succinate drives pain in oral cancers, with the long-term goal of developing effective non-opioid therapies. Building on her team’s discovery that the succinate receptor SUCNR1 mediates inflammation and nociception, her new research will define the role of succinate/SUCNR1 signaling in cancer-associated pain using clinical samples and preclinical models. They will also evaluate a first-in-class SUCNR1 antagonist developed in the laboratory for its efficacy in reducing pain and inflammation in oral cancer models through collaboration with Yi Ye, PhD, and her team at New York University.
These studies aim to establish SUCNR1 as a novel therapeutic target and advance a metabolism-based approach to cancer pain management. This multidisciplinary project is supported by co-investigators at UVA: Yuqi Guo, MD, who leads animal modeling and IACUC protocol development; Varinder Kaur, MD, who oversees the collection of patient-derived samples for translational validation, with support from the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network; and Chengli Shen, MD, PhD, who provides statistical expertise. Dr. Li’s research group integrates expertise in cancer biology, immunometabolism, and pain research to develop innovative strategies that improve pain control and enhance quality of life for patients with oral cancer.
Learn more about Dr. Li’s research.
Filed Under: Research