Jin Mo Chung, Ph.D.

Professor, Departments of Anatomy & Neurosciences and Physiology & Biophysics

Affiliations: Member, Marine Biomedical Institute
Cell Biology Graduate Program
Neurosciences Graduate Program

Education

• B.S., Sogang University, 1967
• Ph.D., Loyola University (Chicago), 1977

research interests

Our research activities in recent years at The University of Texas Medical Branch have focused on uncovering the neurological mechanisms underlying chronic pain, particularly peripheral neuropathic pain. When a peripheral nerve is injured, varying degrees of paralysis follows. For some unfortunate individuals, severe chronic pain may also develop, sometimes so severe that the patients want to commit suicide. Yet, treatment is limited because its neurological mechanisms are not clear and common analgesic drugs such as morphine are not effective in relieving this type of pain.

To investigate the mechanisms of neuropathic pain, we have developed an experimental rat model that closely mimics behavioral signs of chronic pain seen in human patients with neuropathic pain. This model is arguably the best one among the existing neuropathic pain models. Consequently, scientists from all over the world come to our laboratory to learn how to produce this model. Numerous research laboratories are using it to investigate pain mechanisms and many pharmaceutical companies use it to develop new analgesic drugs.

Using this animal model, we take a multidisciplinary experimental approach. This includes behavioral, neurophysiological, neuropharma- cological, neuroanatomical, and molecular biological techniques. It is anticipated that such a multidisciplinary approach will result in a better understanding of neuropathic pain and an improved treatment for patients suffering from such devastatingly debilitating chronic pain.

Selected Publications

Kim, S.H. and Chung, J.M. An experimental model for peripheral neuropathy produced by segmental spinal nerve ligation in the rat. Pain 50: 355-363, 1992.

Sheen, K., and Chung, J.M. Signs of neuropathic pain depend on signals from injured nerve fibers in a rat model. Brain Research 610: 62-68, 1993.

Leem, J.W.1, Willis, W.D., and Chung, J.M. Cutaneous sensory receptors in the rat foot. J. Neurophysiol. 69: 1684-1699, 1993

Na, H.S., Leem, J.W.1, and Chung, J.M. Abnormalities of mechanoreceptors in a rat model of neuropathic pain: possible involvement in mediating mechanical allodynia. J. Neurophysiol. 70: 522-528, 1993.

Kim, S.H., Na, H.S., Sheen, K., and Chung, J.M. Effects of sympathectomy on a rat model of peripheral neuropathy. Pain 55: 85-92, 1993.

Leem, J.W.1, Willis, W.D., Weller, S.C., and Chung, J.M. Differential activation and classification of cutaneous afferents in the rat. J. Neurophysiol. 70: 2411- 2424, 1993.

Leem, J.W.1, Lee, B.H., Willis, W.D., and Chung, J.M. Grouping of somatosensory neurons in the spinal cord and the gracile nucleus of the rat by cluster analysis. J. Neurophysiol. 72: 2590-2597, 1994.

Choi, Y., Yoon, Y.W., Na, H.S., Kim, S.H., and Chung, J.M. Behavioral signs of ongoing pain and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Pain 59: 369- 376, 1994.

Chung, K., Lee, B.H., Yoon, Y.W. and Chung, J.M. Sympathetic sprouting in the dorsal root ganglia of the injured peripheral nerve in a rat neuropathic pain model. J. Comp. Neurol. 376: 241-252, 1996.

Yoon, Y.W., Na, H.S., and Chung, J.M. Contributions of injured and intact afferents to neuropathic pain in an experimental rat model. Pain 64: 27-36, 1996.

Chung, K., Yoon, Y.W. and Chung, J.M. Sprouting sympathetic fibers form synaptic endings in the dorsal root ganglion of the rat with neuropathic injury. Brain Res. 751: 275-280, 1997.

Lee, B.H., Yoon, Y.W., Chung, K. and Chung, J.M. Comparison of sympathetic sprouting to the sensory ganglia in three animal models of neuropathic pain. Exp. Brain Res. 120: 432-438, 1998.

Lee, S.E., Shen, H., Taglialatela, G. Chung, J.M. and Chung, K. Expression of nerve growth factor in the dorsal root ganglion after peripheral nerve injury. Brain Research.