We use a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to determine how sensations from the inflamed gut are processed in the spinal cord. Over 60,000 Australians suffer from IBD and debilitating pain is a major symptom. Surprisingly, we know very little about how pain signals originating in the normal or the diseased gut are organised and processed in the central nervous system. Obtaining such information is a necessary first step before we can develop therapies to relieve gut pain.
Spinal Cord Injury Pain: Understanding Mechanisms To Develop Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,675.00
Summary
Spinal cord injury has devastating effects on health and quality of life. Many of the major consequences of injury, such as chronic pain and loss of voluntary voiding, are "invisible" – i.e., they are not as visible as limitations of mobility. Our study aims to define the neurobiological changes that cause development of persistent pain after spinal cord injury and use pharmacological tools to attenuate the development of pain.
Development Of Peripheral Sensory Pathways In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,504.00
Summary
To receive the appropriate information about the state of our muscles, joints, organs, and skin we need a properly 'connected' sensory system. Recent evidence suggests traumatic events during early development can alter sensory connections within the spinal cord. This can lead to debilitating movement disorders, digestive diseases, and increased pain. In this study we will examine how peripheral sensory fibres connect with the appropriate nerve cells in the human spinal cord during development.