Chronic pain is a debilitating syndrome caused by damage to tissue and the nervous system, arising from trauma and disease. It is poorly served by current drugs. To identify novel more effective therapies we propose to examine the mechanisms underlying this syndrome. We have identified a novel protein which is involved in synaptic plasticity. We will examine its role the development of chronic pain at the cellular level and how it might be exploited for the treatment of chronic pain.
Pain has a detrimental impact on ones quality of life and a significant financial impact on the community. Although some of the pathways that code pain in the brain have been defined, it was recently proposed that there also exists a pain-specific pathway in humans. Using human brain imaging, we aim to determine if such a pathway exists and if it is altered in subjects with chronic pain. The existence of such a pathway would significantly aid in the development of better treatment regimes.
Pain Systems Analysis Highlights PI3K Gamma As A Candidate Regulator Of Nociception.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,810.00
Summary
Chronic pain will affect most of us at one point in our life, and there is a need for new drugs to manage this condition. The goal of this project is to use our computer modeling of genetic data from multiple species to predict new drug targets, and then use mouse models to look at the mechanism of action for predicted drug targets, and validate one potential drug target in particular for its therapeutic abilities to stop chronic pain.
A Potential Analgesic Target In A Novel Clinically-relevant Neuropathic Pain Pathway.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$685,811.00
Summary
Persistent pain arising from tissue damage, to nerves, muscles or joints for example, is devastating for patients and a huge social and economic burden. This work will investigate one of the pathways that goes awry after sensory nerves are damaged. These experiments will also test whether a drug being developed to treat Alzheimer's disease is effective at blocking the persistent nerve hypersensitivity that sometimes develops after injury.
The Role Of Presynaptic Inhibition In Neuropathic Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,045.00
Summary
Inhibitory nerve cells in the spinal cord are thought to play an important role in governing the interaction between painful and non-painful stimuli. Defects in this process underlie allodynia, an important symptom of neuropathic pain. We will use recent advances in genetic techniques (optogenetics) to manipulate and study how inhibitory nerve cells separate touch and pain signalling in the spinal cord of normal and neuropathic animals.
Use Of A Novel Technique To Identify The Sensory Nerve Endings That Respond To Painful Stimuli In The Upper Gastrointestinal Tract And Characterize Their Mechanisms Of Activation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$353,243.00
Summary
Many people experience pain in their upper gastrointestinal tract. Unlike the skin, however, we have no idea where the sensory nerve endings that detect pain are located in this part of the body, and no clear understanding of how these nerve endings are activated to cause pain. This project will utilise a novel technique recently developed by the CIA to finally identify and record directly from the sensory nerve endings that detect painful stimuli in the upper gastrointestinal tract and characte ....Many people experience pain in their upper gastrointestinal tract. Unlike the skin, however, we have no idea where the sensory nerve endings that detect pain are located in this part of the body, and no clear understanding of how these nerve endings are activated to cause pain. This project will utilise a novel technique recently developed by the CIA to finally identify and record directly from the sensory nerve endings that detect painful stimuli in the upper gastrointestinal tract and characterise the mechanisms underlying their activation.Read moreRead less
Understanding How Inflammatory Bowel Disease Causes Hypersensitivity Of Colonic Sensory Nerve Endings And Increased Abdominal Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,466.00
Summary
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly experience increased abdominal pain. This project utilises two novel techniques developed by the Chief investigator, that allow us to understand how inflammation of the large intestine leads to increased pain sensations. This project will use these new techniques to identify, for the first time, the sensory nerve endings that detect painful stimuli from within the large intestine; and how these nerve endings become hyperexcitable during inf ....Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly experience increased abdominal pain. This project utilises two novel techniques developed by the Chief investigator, that allow us to understand how inflammation of the large intestine leads to increased pain sensations. This project will use these new techniques to identify, for the first time, the sensory nerve endings that detect painful stimuli from within the large intestine; and how these nerve endings become hyperexcitable during inflammation to cause increased abdominal pain.Read moreRead less
The Importance Of Receptor Trafficking For Signalling Of Pain And Inflammation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$787,604.00
Summary
Inflammation and pain are normal processes that are essential for survival: inflammation fights infections and pain allows avoidance of danger. These processes are normally tightly controlled and are transient. During disease, they become dysregulated and chronic. By understanding the normal processes of inflammation and pain, and by determining how dysregulation causes disease, we aim to develop new treatments for diseases that are a major cause of human suffering.
Chronic inflammation underlies common and debilitating diseases and causes pain by unknown mechanisms. There is an urgent need to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of chronic pain, which will allow the development of improved therapies with fewer side-effects. Our research program investigates the mechanisms of pain that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, with the goal of developing more effective and selective therapies.
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.