News

Modeling Discogenic Low Back Pain in the Tails of Rats—And Treating It, Too

Hyaluronic acid hydrogel biomaterial prevents pain caused by intervertebral disc injury at the base of the tail

by Nathan Fried on 18 Jun 2018

Comment

Nearly half of chronic low back pain stems from degeneration of the intervertebral discs that sit between each of the spine’s vertebra. To study this phenomenon in animals, researchers…

Research

NIH Announces HEAL Initiative to Combat Opioid Crisis

Pain research gets a boost in funding as part of the effort

by Stephani Sutherland on 5 Jun 2018

Pain researchers and advocates are cheering the announcement of the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative, which promises to roughly double US National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding…

Research

Highlights From the American Pain Society Scientific Summit: Can Nanomedicine Play a Role in the Future of Pain Treatment?

A session at the March 4-6, 2018, event featured animal studies on macrophage-targeted nanomedicine

by Ashley Cowie on 29 May 2018

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a report on research presented during a session on pain nanomedicine at the American Pain Society (APS) Annual Scientific Meeting. This year, the meeting…

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Danger Ahead: Threat Signals Converge to Drive Pain, Hunger

Two new studies identify shared neural circuitry in the hindbrain’s parabrachial nucleus

by Stephani Sutherland on 24 May 2018

Survival is the prime directive of every animal, and it takes work. Animals are under constant threat from starvation, thirst, extreme temperatures, and life-threatening injury and illness. But when…

Research

Highlights From the American Pain Society Scientific Summit: Muscle Pain

Symposium at March 4-6, 2018 event featured discussion of underlying mechanisms of muscle pain in different animal models

by Francie Moehring on 17 May 2018

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a report on research presented during a symposium on muscle pain at the American Pain Society (APS) Annual Scientific Meeting. This year, the meeting…

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Three Is Not a Crowd: A Trio of Molecular Sensors Protects Organisms Against Acute Heat

TRPV1, TRPM3, and TRPA1 ion channels act collectively as a fault-tolerant mechanism in mice

by Matthew Soleiman on 14 May 2018

Comment

For decades, researchers have looked for the molecular sensors tuned to potentially harmful heat. Now, a team led by Joris Vriens and Thomas Voets, University of Leuven, Belgium, has…

Research

Mu and Delta Opioid Receptors: Where Are They, and Do They Interact?

New study finds MOR and DOR co-expression limited to small populations of dorsal and ventral horn neurons, and that these opioid receptor subtypes function independently to regulate pain

by Dara Bree on 3 May 2018

Comment

Opioid receptors mediate opioid analgesia and are located throughout the central nervous system (CNS). How they are organized—the cell populations and neural circuits in which they are present—and whether…

Research

Could Cannabis Legalization Help Ease the Opioid Crisis?

Two recent studies show that legalization is associated with decreased opioid prescribing, but many questions remain

by Kayt Sukel on 1 May 2018

Comment

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. The most recent statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that, on…

Research

The Fight Against Bacterial Lung Infections: A New Role for Nociceptors?

TRPV1+ neurons regulate host defense against infection and pneumonia by suppressing neutrophils and gamma delta T cell responses

by Dara Bree on 17 Apr 2018

Comment

The pain field is becoming increasingly aware of the links between the nervous and immune systems, and how complex interactions between the two underlie many pain disorders. A new…

Research

Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions and Stress: A Meeting Report From the CACPR 3rd Annual Symposium

Recent event discusses complex pain-stress relationship observed in a number of disorders

by Shana Burrowes, Samuel Krimmel, Janell Payano Sosa, and Jing Zhang on 9 Apr 2018

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is a meeting report from the University of Maryland’s Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research (CACPR) 3rd Annual Symposium. The theme of this event, which…

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A Pathogenic Autoantibody Causes Pain by Releasing the Brakes on Sensory Neurons

Patient-derived CASPR2 autoantibodies decrease potassium channel expression in mouse sensory neurons

by Nathan Fried on 3 Apr 2018

Comment

Patients who develop autoimmunity to contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2), a neuronal adhesion protein, share a number of clinical features, with neuropathic pain being one of them. But the underlying…

Research

Tamper-Resistant Opioid Yields Mixed Results

New formulation of oxycodone curbs tampering among high-risk individuals but doesn’t change overall opioid use or related harm at a population level, according to a new Australian study

by Matthew Soleiman on 22 Mar 2018

Comment

Like the United States, Australia is in the midst of an opioid crisis. In response, companies in both countries have introduced versions of oxycodone that are difficult to tamper…

Drug Development

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New Approaches to Better Assess Pain in Animals and Treat Pain in People: Highlights From SfN 2017

Work on persistent homology, and vagus nerve stimulation, presented at recent meeting

by Ashley Cowie on 15 Mar 2018

Comment

The following is the second of a two-part report on research presented at the 2017 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, which took place November 11-15 in Washington, DC. See…

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Interactions Between Neurons and Non-neuronal Cells in Touch, Itch, and Pain: Highlights From SfN 2017

Posters and symposia highlight an emerging area of research

by Ashley Cowie on 15 Mar 2018

Comment

The following is the first of a two-part report on research presented at the 2017 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, which took place November 11-15 in Washington, DC. See…

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Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Arise From Different Mechanisms

Cold allodynia depends on TRPV1-lineage nociceptive neurons, while tactile allodynia requires immune cells likely acting on large mechanoreceptive neurons

by Stephani Sutherland on 8 Mar 2018

Comment

Neuropathic pain typically features three hallmark symptoms: spontaneous pain, cold allodynia, and tactile allodynia. New research examining gene expression changes in mice now shows that the last two symptoms…

Research

The Kappa Opioid Receptor Takes Shape

Newly revealed structure of active state of KOR will aid in design of safer, more effective opioids

by Dara Bree on 28 Feb 2018

Comment

Opioids provide rapid and potent pain relief, but these drugs are associated with numerous side effects, including respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Now, a new study led by…

Drug Development

Research

Lost in Translation: Without New Proteins, Chronic Pain Cannot Take Off

A first-in-class RNA decoy blocks PABP from attaching to messenger RNA, preventing translation and pain sensitization

by Nathan Fried on 21 Feb 2018

Comment

Pain sensitivity after an injury, such as damage to a nerve or an inflammatory insult, involves the synthesis of new proteins in pain neurons. This process is thought to…

Drug Development

Research

Piezo2 Comes in More Forms Than One

Alternative splicing in mice and people could explain the full range of mechanotransduction

by Matthew Soleiman on 8 Feb 2018

Comment

Animals, including humans, can sense mechanical force in a myriad of forms―as light touch, vibration, and even muscle tension, among others. Yet all of these seem to be detected…

Research

What's in a Name for Chronic Pain?

“Nociplastic pain” officially adopted by IASP as third mechanistic descriptor of chronic pain

by Neil Andrews on 5 Feb 2018

For decades, pain researchers have set their sights on understanding pain mechanisms—the cellular and molecular machinery underlying chronic pain. In doing so, they became increasingly aware that the terms…

Research

Nanosymposiums on Pain: Highlights From SfN 2017

Talks on novel targets for pain, and on neuroimmune sex differences in pain, presented at recent meeting

by Francie Moehring on 24 Jan 2018

Comment

The following is a report on two nanosymposiums on pain held at the 2017 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, which took place November 11-15 in Washington, DC. See other…

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Pain Researchers Among Science Advocates at Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting

Scientists seize the opportunity to educate US congressional representatives in DC

by Stephani Sutherland on 18 Jan 2018

Comment

The 2017 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience was held November 11-15 in Washington, DC. For some, the meeting’s proximity to Capitol Hill provided an opportunity to speak…

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More Pain, More Aging, and More Pain With Aging: Part 1

Pre-conference workshop at recent IAGG meeting featured experts in clinical research and care

by Neil Andrews on 16 Jan 2018

Comment

Editor's note: This is Part 1 of PRF’s coverage of selected talks from a pre-conference workshop on pain and aging held at the 2017 International Association of Gerontology and…

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More Pain, More Aging, and More Pain With Aging: Part 2

Pre-conference workshop at recent IAGG meeting featured experts in clinical research and care

by Neil Andrews on 16 Jan 2018

Comment

Editor's note: This is Part 2 of PRF’s coverage of selected talks from a pre-conference workshop on pain and aging, held July 23 in San Francisco, US, at the…

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Designing Safer Opioids: How Biased Are You?

A systematic analysis of multiple mu opioid receptor agonists reveals that bias factor correlates with therapeutic window

by Nathan Fried on 11 Jan 2018

Comment

Developing safer opioids remains a long-held goal of pain researchers, who have especially set their sights on the mu opioid receptor (MOR). Agonists that bind MORs can activate multiple…

Drug Development

Research

The Unmet Global Need for Palliative Care and Pain Relief

Sick and dying people suffer from untreated pain in low-income countries

by Stephani Sutherland on 4 Jan 2018

Comment

Imagine suffering from agonizing pain due to advanced cancer, or recovering from surgery without receiving any pain medication. That might seem unthinkable in the US and other high-income countries.…

Research

Why Is Craniofacial Pain Often Worse Than Body Pain? An Explanation Emerges

Direct trigeminal ganglion-to-lateral parabrachial nucleus pathway may explain increased suffering associated with head and face pain

by Dara Bree on 19 Dec 2017

Comment

Patients often describe head and face pain (craniofacial pain) as more severe and emotionally unpleasant than pain from the rest of the body. These regions are also the site…

Research

Year in Review: The Top News Stories and Papers of the Week on PRF in 2017

News on a colorful approach to relieving pain, and a paper on separating opioid side effects from analgesia, grab the number 1 slots

by PRF Team on 18 Dec 2017

Comment

As the year draws to a close, it’s a good time to take stock of the news and papers that caught your attention in 2017—it’s the moment for a Top…

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Research

What’s Behind the Spatial Acuity for Pain?

Nociceptive fibers vary in shape in the spinal cord of mice, hinting at an explanation for pain acuity in people

by Matthew Soleiman on 14 Dec 2017

Comment

Compared to other areas of the body, the fingertips are especially sensitive to the threat of injury, and yet they possess fewer pain-signaling nerve fibers. Now, according to new…

Research

Where Will New Pain Drugs Come From?

11th Annual Pain and Migraine Therapeutics Summit in San Diego seeks to fill the drug pipeline

by Stephani Sutherland on 6 Dec 2017

Comment

The 11th Annual Pain and Migraine Therapeutics Summit, chaired by William Schmidt, NorthStar Consulting, Davis, US, and organized by Arrowhead Publishers and Conferences was held September 27-28, 2017, in…

Conferences

Drug Development

Research

An Ion Channel That Perpetuates Pain in Diabetic Neuropathy

Peripheral HCN2 lowers threshold for pain in mouse models of type 1, type 2 diabetes

by Matthew Soleiman on 27 Nov 2017

Comment

Diabetes is on the rise, and consequently, so is the persistent and often intractable pain experienced by many diabetic patients with nerve injury. However, researchers still have a poor…

Drug Development

Research

The Cingulate Cortex and Pain: Let’s Get Specific

A midcingulate cortex to posterior insula pathway plays a key role in nociception, even in the absence of peripheral input

by Allison Marin on 20 Nov 2017

Comment

A newly described pathway from the midcingulate cortex (MCC) to the posterior insula (PI) has a critical part in the regulation of nociceptive hypersensitivity, according to a new study…

Research

A Flatworm to the Rescue

Noxious heat avoidance in planarians linked to activation of TRPA1 by reactive oxygen species

by Neil Andrews on 7 Nov 2017

Comment

The ion channel TRPA1 is in some respects a conundrum, particularly regarding its contribution to temperature sensing. Some variants of TRPA1 respond to heat, while others respond to cold…

Research

Nocebo Effects and Pain: What’s the Cost?

“Expensive” inert treatment produces greater nocebo hyperalgesia than “cheap” version

by Dara Bree on 2 Nov 2017

Comment

Positive (placebo) or negative (nocebo) responses to inert or sham treatments are common occurrences in medicine. Both are complex neurobiological phenomena that can be triggered or modulated by a…

Research

A Chemogenetic Approach to Alleviating Neuropathic Pain

Activation of an engineered ion channel silences sensory neurons, reverses allodynia in mice

by Matthew Soleiman on 27 Oct 2017

Comment

For years, scientists have entertained the idea that chemogenetics—the ability to manipulate genetically defined cells using engineered receptors—might eventually become more than a research tool. If harnessed correctly by…

Research

Texas Pain Research Consortium Defies Hurricane Harvey to Host Second Biennial Pain Research Conference

Meeting in Galveston, Texas, on August 24, 2017, brings out 133 attendees from across the state

by Dayna Loyd Averitt and Shivani Ruparel on 17 Oct 2017

Comment

This meeting report is co-authored by Dayna Loyd Averitt and Shivani Ruparel (Media Committee Co-Chairs).

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Research

Newly Identified Nociceptors Transmit Pain From Hair Follicles

A-delta nociceptor population responds to pulling of even a single hair in a mouse study

by Nathan Fried on 10 Oct 2017

Comment

Despite decades of research, scientists still don’t know all the types of neurons that transmit the sensation of mechanical pain. Now, researchers add one more piece to the puzzle,…

Research

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Plays a Crucial Role in Pain

Wide-ranging study demonstrates genetic association between EGFR and orofacial pain in humans; new work also shows EGFR inhibitors block inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mice

by Allison Marin on 5 Oct 2017

Comment

New findings in people, mice, and flies points to a role for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in chronic pain. The work, led by Jeffrey Mogil and Luda Diatchenko,…

Research

Developmental Signaling Pathway Regulates Inflammatory Pain

New study shows reawakening of semaphorin 4C-Plexin-B2 signaling in adult mice

by Matthew Soleiman on 27 Sep 2017

Comment

The same genes and proteins that sculpt the developing nervous system are often called upon again in adulthood, even if for very different reasons. Now, a research team led…

Research

Neuroimaging Pain: Recommendations From an IASP Task Force

Ethical and legal concerns spark a Consensus Statement from prominent researchers

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 Sep 2017

Comment

A task force convened by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and made up of researchers in neuroimaging, clinical pain, neuroethics, and law has published a…

Research

The Latest Thinking on Chronic Pelvic Pain

A recent PRF webinar focused on the basic science of visceral innervation, animal models, and more

by Stephani Sutherland on 19 Sep 2017

Comment

On June 6, 2017, PRF hosted its 26th webinar, this one devoted to the topic of chronic pelvic pain. Julie Christianson, University of Kansas, Kansas City, US, delivered a…

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Research

A Sound Approach to Pain Relief?

Ultrasound-triggered release of sodium channel blocker from liposomes provides on-demand local anesthesia, according to a new rat study

by Dara Bree on 13 Sep 2017

Comment

Relief of acute postoperative pain and other forms of acute pain remains a significant challenge. Up to 41 percent of patients experience moderate to severe pain after surgery—a worrying…

Drug Development

Research

Phosphorylation Outside the Cell: A New Factor in Chronic Pain?

Extracellular phosphorylation of a single tyrosine in EphB2 on spinal cord neurons increases NMDAR activity and pain

by Nathan Fried on 5 Sep 2017

Comment

Phosphorylation is one of many post-translational mechanisms that cells harness to regulate protein function. This process is usually described in textbooks as occurring exclusively inside cells. Recent studies, however,…

Research

Optogenetics Takes Center Stage—in the Peripheral Nervous System

Recent studies showcase the technique’s contribution to the understanding of peripheral pain signaling

by Neil Andrews on 28 Aug 2017

Comment

Optogenetics—using light to control cells in genetically engineered animals expressing light-sensitive proteins—has been a part of the scientific research landscape for over a decade. But only in the last…

Research

How Changes in the Cortex Give Rise to Chronic Pain

Nerve damage disinhibits pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex of mice through effects on three populations of interneurons

by Matthew Soleiman on 24 Aug 2017

Comment

In addressing how pain becomes chronic, researchers have given the lion’s share of attention to peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. But now, in a new mouse study, Guang…

Research

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Gut-Neuronal Interactions Mediated by Intestinal Enterochromaffin Cells

“Mini guts” show these rare cells use serotonin to talk to neurons; study will enlarge understanding of visceral pain

by Allison Marin on 14 Aug 2017

Comment

A subtype of specialized gut epithelial cells called enterochromaffin (EC) cells transduce information about physiological and noxious compounds to the nervous system, reports new research led by Holly Ingraham…

Research

Light Produces Autonomic Changes and Fewer Positive Emotions in Migraine Patients

Translational study unearths new reasons for light aversion in migraineurs beyond headache exacerbation

by Dara Bree on 7 Aug 2017

Comment

Sensitivity to light (photophobia), an extremely common symptom among migraine sufferers, is a phenomenon whereby ambient light intensifies the headache and is one of the major diagnostic criteria for…

Research

Harnessing the Power of Placebo

A recent PRF webinar explored the mechanisms behind the brain’s own pain-modulating ability and how to maximize placebo benefits in the clinic

by Stephani Sutherland on 1 Aug 2017

Comment

On April 26, 2017, PRF hosted its 25th webinar, which explored the science behind placebo and nocebo effects. Luana Colloca, University of Maryland, Baltimore, US, presented her talk, "From…

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PRF and the International Association for the Study of Pain Announce a Major Partnership

PRF and IASP join forces to provide unified hub for pain researchers across the world

by PRF Team on 27 Jul 2017

Comment

We are excited to announce that the Pain Research Forum (PRF) is joining forces with the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Merging with IASP will help PRF…

Consider the Endosome: New Life for Neurokinin 1 Receptor Antagonists?

Blocking substance P activation of NK1R in endosomes is more effective at relieving pain than cell surface inhibition, but questions remain

by Nathan T. Fried on 18 Jul 2017

Comment

Troves of preclinical data initially supported a key role for substance P, a neurotransmitter released in response to painful stimuli, in chronic pain. In clinical trials, however, highly selective…

Drug Development

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Highlights From the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Pain Society: Part 2

At the Basic Science SIG dinner, rigor, bias, and transparency in science were the main course

by by Stephani Sutherland on 17 Jul 2017

Comment

Editor’s note: The following is Part 2 of a two-part report on selected presentations from the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (APS), held May 17-20, 2017,…

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The IASP Pain Research Forum is a publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain