research

Pain Ligand-Receptor “Interactome” Revealed

Computational tool built from existing RNA sequencing dataset to advance translational pain studies.

by Stephani Sutherland on 24 May 2021

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Nociceptive sensory neurons innervate all the tissues of the body. Pain researchers have identified hundreds of receptors in such neurons over the past several decades, and these receptors are…

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Resolving Pain: Macrophages Are the New Boss in Town

A subpopulation of spinal macrophages expressing CD163 resolve nociceptive hypersensitivity by activating an anti-inflammatory pathway.

by Stephani Sutherland on 17 May 2021

Comment

When it comes to chronic nerve injury pain, pro-inflammatory immune cells – microglia, in particular – receive the lion's share of attention. But new work shows that a specific…

Research

The Transition From Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain: How Common Is It? What Are the Risk Factors?

US study finds more than 30% of acute LBP patients go on to have chronic LBP; treatments not in agreement with guidelines, higher risk on SBT prognostic tool increase likelihood of transition.

by Lincoln Tracy on 11 May 2021

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How common is the transition from acute to chronic low back pain (LBP)? And what are the risk factors behind it? It's been difficult to answer these questions, in…

Research

Impaired Endogenous Opioid Signaling in Peripheral Nerves Contributes to Painful Diabetic Neuropathy in Mice

Evidence suggests a similar mechanism may be at play in people.

by Fred Schwaller on 10 May 2021

Comment

Painful diabetic neuropathy remains a stubborn problem in many patients. While alterations in endogenous opioid signaling in the central nervous system (CNS) have been associated with this condition, both…

Research

New Clinical Trial Shows No Benefit of High-Intensity Strength Training for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain – But Don't Give Up on Exercise!

Researchers try to make sense of a negative result.

by Kayt Sukel on 4 May 2021

Comment

About 14 million Americans live with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a disease of the joint in in which knee cartilage breaks down over time. This chronic condition is associated with…

Research

The Evolution of Spitting Cobra Venom to Ward Off Enemies

A new study reports the emergence, on three separate occasions, of venom spitting to inflict pain for defensive purposes.

by Francie Moehring on 26 Apr 2021

Comment

When it comes to venomous snakes, usually we think of these creatures as using venom to kill and eat their prey. However, a new study suggests that in one…

Research

A Step Toward an Objective Biomarker of Chronic Pain: Can You ToP(S) This?

A new study puts forth a brain imaging biomarker that predicts experimental tonic pain and clinical back pain.

by Fred Schwaller on 19 Apr 2021

Comment

An objective biomarker of pain – it’s what many consider the Holy Grail of pain research. In recent years, brain activity signatures from neuroimaging studies have received a great…

Research

People Make Metacognitive Judgments About Pain

New research links pain rating reaction times to confidence in pain ratings, in a study of healthy volunteers subjected to experimental heat pain.

by Kayt Sukel on 6 Apr 2021

Comment

People who have pain are faced with the challenge of finding a way to express what is a subjective and multidimensional experience, usually by choosing a number on a…

Research

The Trajectories of Childhood Pain

At a recent virtual event, Laura Simons discussed research aiming to understand the trajectory of pain in kids.

by Mary Lynch on 24 Mar 2021

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How do we predict pediatric pain trajectories? Who recovers from pain and for whom does pain persist? These questions were the focus of Laura Simons’ closing keynote address, “Predicting…

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How Food Triggers the Pain of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A local immune reaction in the colon sensitizes sensory nerves.

by Stephani Sutherland on 17 Mar 2021

Comment

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a mysterious condition that affects an estimated 11% of the global population and causes chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. With IBS, the nerve…

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The Sensory Neuron-to-Lymph Node Connection: Understanding an Important Player in Peripheral Neuroimmune Communication

A unique population of peptidergic nociceptors regulates a variety of cell types in lymph nodes.

by Courtney Bannerman on 11 Mar 2021

Comment

Many studies have shown interactions between the peripheral nervous system and immune system. But a detailed understanding of interactions between neurons and lymph nodes, and why this communication may…

Research

I Feel Your Pain – and Analgesia

A new mouse study identifies an anterior cingulate cortex-to-nucleus accumbens brain circuit that regulates the social transfer of pain and pain relief.

by Kayt Sukel on 22 Feb 2021

Empathy – the adoption of the emotional and sensory state of others – is a fundamental social skill that helps people better perceive and respond to their external environment…

Research

Understanding Pediatric Pain in Cultural and Medical Context

A recent IASP Virtual Series on Pain & Expo workshop focused on sociocultural influences on children’s pain.

by Angela Pascale on 16 Feb 2021

Comment

Understanding pain experienced in childhood is crucially important, as pediatric pain sets the stage for both pain and healthcare experiences into adulthood. Of the many influences on childhood pain,…

Conferences

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Therapeutic Suggestions During General Anesthesia Reduce Postoperative Pain and Opioid Use

A recent clinical trial shows the benefits of positive suggestions for surgical patients

by Lincoln Tracy on 8 Feb 2021

Comment

Surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia are usually thought to lack awareness of their environment and be unable to respond to external stimuli – how could it be otherwise when…

Research

Detecting Allergens and Triggering the Allergic Immune Response: A New Role for Sensory Neurons

TPRV1+ sensory neurons directly detect allergens in the skin and signal to dendritic cells via Substance P.

by Fred Schwaller on 26 Jan 2021

Comment

Add allergen detection and the allergic immune response to the growing list of biological functions made possible by interactions between the nervous system and the immune system, according to…

Research

Pain After Musculoskeletal Trauma: Who Is at Risk?

Presenters at a 2020 IASP Global Year webinar discussed factors that increase the risk for chronic pain after injury.

by Andrew Post on 11 Jan 2021

Comment

Editor’s note: The 2021 Global Year About Back Pain is underway, with many resources and activities planned throughout the year, including webinars. Here, we take a look back at…

Conferences

Research

Spinal Astrocytes: New Players in Noradrenergic Descending Pain Modulation

Dorsal horn astrocytes activated by noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus drive mechanical hypersensitivity in mice, contrary to expectations.

by Fred Schwaller on 11 Jan 2021

Comment

Pain isn’t just under the dominion of neurons: Glial cells, including microglia and astrocytes, have long been known to modulate pain sensitivity via interactions with neurons in both acute…

Research

High-Impact Chronic Pain: A Data Visualization

Fifty million of US adults have chronic pain, and 20 million of US adults have high-impact chronic pain (HICP). Age, sex, education level, employment status, and poverty status are major contributors to HICP.

by Laura Sirucek on 26 Nov 2020

Comment

This data visualization was originally published on RELIEF, PRF’s companion site for people with lived experience of pain and the wider public, and is being republished here for the…

Research

SARS-CoV-2 Interacts With Sensory Neurons

Clues are emerging to suggest where and how the virus attacks the peripheral nervous system.

by Stephani Sutherland on 23 Nov 2020

Comment

By now it’s clear: COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, includes symptoms that invoke the nervous system in myriad ways – from the acute symptoms of sore…

Research

Chronic Pain or Current Pain: What Do Changes in Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity Actually Reflect?

Commonly seen changes in brain connectivity among fibromyalgia patients may more closely reflect these individuals’ current clinical pain state rather than their pain condition

by Megan McPhee Christensen on 12 Nov 2020

Comment

The brains of patients with different chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, often show differences in resting-state functional connectivity, compared to pain-free controls. Researchers have often interpreted this to mean…

Research

A Potassium Channel Mutation Drives Resilience to Labor Pain

A genetic variant in Kv6.4 leads to reduced labor pain in a subset of childbearing women

by Fred Schwaller on 20 Oct 2020

Comment

The American actress Danica McKellar, best known for her role as Winnie Cooper in the hit television series The Wonder Years, once said: “My hope is to go fully…

Research

A Rapidly Adapting Understanding of Touch

A recent study shows that Meissner corpuscles mediate gentle touch perception and are innervated by molecularly distinct Aβ neuron types

by Melanie Schaffler on 12 Oct 2020

Comment

Meissner corpuscles, receptors for vibration and pressure in the hairless skin of mammals, were first discovered over 165 years ago. However, the function of these structures in touch perception…

Research

Calls to Rename “Pain Catastrophizing” Backed by International Patient-Researcher Partnership

An ongoing initiative is investigating different perspectives on what has become a controversial term, aiming to identify the most suitable replacement

by Jayden O’Brien on 17 Sep 2020

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Editor’s note: Eight young pain researchers were recently selected to provide news articles and other content as part of PRF’s Correspondents program, which provides a science communications training experience.…

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A Persistence of Sex Bias in Preclinical Pain Research

A review of studies published since 2015 reveals a better balance between male and female animals in pain research, yet the existing literature shows a deep male bias in experimental effects

by Sarah Najjar on 18 Aug 2020

Comment

Even though chronic pain disproportionately affects women, preclinical pain research has relied heavily on data from male rodents. With increasing recognition that males and females process pain differently, some…

Research

The Parabrachial Nucleus Takes the Pain Limelight

Two recent studies build the case for a crucial role of this brainstem structure in pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 13 Aug 2020

Comment

Nociceptive signals entering the brain via the spinothalamic pathway allow us to detect the location and intensity of a painful sensation. But, at least as importantly, nociceptive inputs also…

Research

Analgesia From General Anesthetics: A “Pain-Off” Switch in the Central Amygdala

Isoflurane and ketamine engage a pain-suppression circuit controlled by GABAergic neurons in the CeA

by Fred Schwaller on 22 Jul 2020

Comment

General anesthetics used in surgeries are well known to cause loss of consciousness. This has often been assumed to account for the ability of these drugs to also produce…

Research

A Mislabeled Line? Well-Known Itch Afferents Can Code Pain, Too

Whether MrgprA3 neurons drive itch or pain depends on how the cells are activated; distinct spinal cord pathways underlie each sensation

by Tayler Sheahan on 16 Jul 2020

Comment

How the nervous system encodes pain and itch – two distinct percepts – is hotly debated. A new study challenges the long-standing labeled line theory for itch, which argues…

Research

A 10-Year Anniversary: Reflecting on the Declaration of Montreal

One decade ago, pain stakeholders from around the globe called for the world to recognize that access to pain management is a fundamental human right. How has the Declaration of Montreal influenced pain research and treatment in the years since?

by Kayt Sukel on 24 Jun 2020

Comment

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on RELIEF, PRF’s companion website for patients and the wider public, and is being republished here for PRF readers.

Research

Does Dendritic Spine Plasticity Contribute to Pain? The Evidence Is Mushrooming

Two-photon imaging study links changes in the structure of dorsal horn dendritic spines to neuropathic pain, in a mouse spared nerve injury model

by Neil Andrews on 18 Jun 2020

Comment

Dendritic spines – small protrusions from the dendrites of neurons – have been familiar to neuroscientists for more than a century, especially to those studying the neuronal mechanisms of…

Drug Development

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When Mice Make Faces, Machine Learning to the Rescue!

Algorithm identifies and classifies characteristic expressions in response to emotional events; calcium imaging reveals neuronal underpinnings

by Francie Moehring on 10 Jun 2020

Comment

When a person feels disgust, fear, or pain, there’s a good chance an observer can identify those emotions from the facial expressions of the individual they are watching. But…

Research

A Paradox of Thermosensation in Mice: Perceiving Warmth Requires a Cool-Activated Channel

The menthol receptor TRPM8 is necessary for mice to perceive very small skin temperature increases as warming; results support pattern theory of thermosensation

by Francie Moehring on 3 Jun 2020

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Can mice perceive slight rises in temperature as warming? A new study says yes, and asserts that patterns of sensory afferent activity, rather than dedicated cold and warm pathways…

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Switch to Telehealth During COVID-19 Pandemic Seen as “Silver Lining” of a Great “Natural Experiment”

Clinics move rapidly to virtual care

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 May 2020

Comment

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the globe, shuttering schools and businesses, pain clinics and therapists’ offices have closed, too. As a result, people with chronic pain swiftly lost…

Research

Fibroblasts Join the Ranks of Pain Targets

Little-known protein secreted by DRG meningeal fibroblasts triggers nerve infiltration by immune cells

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 May 2020

Comment

An obscure protein has emerged as a key control point in immune cell infiltration of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and peripheral nerves after injury. The protein, a protease…

Research

Turning Pluripotent Stem Cells Into a New Population of Sensory Neurons

Researchers use forced transcription method to create a homogenous population of cells, present in humans but not in mice, which detect cold temperature and mechanical force

by Jamie K. Moy on 7 May 2020

Comment

A number of pain labs are now using human tissue, primarily dorsal root ganglia (DRG), to learn more about species differences in pain between animals and people, and to…

Research

COVID-19 Hits Pain Research Labs Hard

Pain investigators doing basic science as well as those on the front lines of clinical care navigate rapid changes during a global pandemic

by Stephani Sutherland on 29 Apr 2020

Comment

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 sweeps around the globe, business as usual has come to a screeching halt. Schools and universities, shops, and offices…

Research

Brain Networks Controlling Endogenous Pain Modulation Differ According to Age and Sex

fMRI study in healthy rats reveals differences in functional connectivity in young versus old, male versus female animals

by Fred Schwaller on 24 Apr 2020

Comment

Over the next several decades, a rapid increase in aging populations will challenge healthcare systems around the world. This is particularly true for efforts to treat pain, since the…

Research

Hunting for the Macrophage MAFIA in Neuropathic Pain

A new study shows that macrophage expansion in the DRG, but not at the nerve injury site, contributes to the initiation and persistence of mechanical hypersensitivity

by Sarah Najjar on 14 Apr 2020

Comment

Immune cell recruitment and activation after nerve injury contribute to neuropathic pain, and recent studies have aimed to identify the types of immune cells and neuroimmune interactions that play…

Research

TACAN: A New Mechanical Pain Sensor

Recently discovered ion channel controls the mechanosensitivity of nociceptors

by Francie Moehring on 7 Apr 2020

Comment

Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical stimulus is converted into an electrical signal, allowing us to hear, feel touch, and experience pain, among other sensations. But much…

Research

Higher Pain Ratings in African Americans Rooted in Discrimination

Brain imaging suggests differences in pain stem from life experience, not nociceptive circuitry

by Stephani Sutherland on 31 Mar 2020

Comment

Despite a still-common belief that African Americans feel less pain than Whites, the evidence shows that the former report more pain than the latter, both in clinical and laboratory…

Research

An Approved Drug for Multiple Sclerosis Also Eases Pain

Dimethyl fumarate relieves neuropathic pain in rodents by alleviating oxidative stress

by Fred Schwaller on 9 Mar 2020

Comment

It takes billions of dollars and years of research and testing to develop new drugs, including novel treatments for chronic pain. So rather than try to reinvent the wheel,…

Drug Development

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Helping Others Eases Pain

A new study shows that altruistic behaviors relieve acute pain in healthy volunteers and chronic pain in cancer patients

by Kayt Sukel on 4 Mar 2020

Comment

Over the past few decades, many studies have examined the paradox of altruistic behaviors, which benefit others at a person’s own expense. Considering the often significant cost of these…

Research

The Culture of Research: “A Shocking Portrait” Calls for Immediate Change

A Wellcome Trust study documents a plethora of widespread issues, including career insecurity, bullying and harassment, sexism and mental health issues. Pain investigators who spoke to PRF said these problems apply to the pain research environment too.

by Kayt Sukel on 24 Feb 2020

Comment

What is it like to be an academic researcher today, according to researchers themselves?

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In the Search for New Drugs, the Migraine Field Wins the Day ─ Again

Based on results from two recent clinical trials, the US Food and Drug Administration approves ubrogepant, a CGRP receptor antagonist, for acute migraine treatment

by Lincoln Tracy on 3 Feb 2020

Comment

The pain field has seen its share of disappointment on the drug development front, to the point where the so-called “failure of translation” has become an unavoidable cliché. But…

Drug Development

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A New Clinical Trial Shows Clear Benefits of TENS for Fibromyalgia ─ Finally!

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces pain from movement and fatigue

by Stephani Sutherland on 27 Jan 2020

Comment

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to treat various forms of chronic pain for decades, yet studies investigating the benefits of this intervention for pain have failed…

Research

Nav1.7 Channels in DRG Neurons: Where Are They and How Do They Get There?

A new study provides the first live visualization, with single-molecule resolution, of Nav1.7 distribution and trafficking along primary afferents, from the soma to the distal axon

by Dara Bree on 21 Jan 2020

Comment

The sodium channel Nav1.7 is a key regulator of the firing of nociceptive neurons, and mutations in this channel can result in pain conditions as well as insensitivity to…

Research

Providers’ Expectations Directly Transmit Placebo Effects to Patients via Facial Expressions

A new study shows that social transmission of placebo effects via subtle facial cues decreases experimental heat pain

by Kayt Sukel on 16 Jan 2020

Comment

For decades, scientists have tried to understand why some people experience the placebo effect, a positive outcome from an inert drug or other inactive treatment. This is often attributed…

Research

Biased Opioid Agonists Isolated From an Australian Fungus

Core tetrapeptide backbone of bilorphin could serve as a structural framework for future compounds

by Stephani Sutherland on 6 Jan 2020

Comment

Major efforts are underway to develop new opioid drugs that relieve pain without dangerous adverse effects. One strategy relies on biased agonism—a term that describes preferential activation of one…

Drug Development

Research

A Newly Identified Scorpion Toxin Targets TRPA1

A cell-penetrating peptide from the venom of the Australian black rock scorpion activates TRPA1 to cause pain but not neurogenic inflammation

by Francie Moehring on 17 Dec 2019

Comment

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is an ion channel expressed by many primary afferent sensory neurons. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a pungent chemical that gives wasabi and mustard oil…

Research

Going in Opposite Directions: The Role of the Amygdala in Pain

A new study shows pro- versus antinociceptive roles for distinct populations of neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala

by Fred Schwaller on 10 Dec 2019

Comment

The role of the amygdala in pain has been closely considered by pain researchers for decades. The results have been somewhat contradictory: Recent research has mostly found pronociceptive contributions…

Research

A New Mechanism of Medication-Overuse Headache

A mouse study reveals that nitric oxide maladaptively activates Nav1.9 channels in a medication-overuse headache model

by Lincoln Tracy on 4 Dec 2019

Comment

It is a cruel irony that the same drugs used to treat migraine headache can themselves cause headache. But the underlying causes of this phenomenon, known as medication-overuse headache…

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