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A Small Molecule Takes the Pain Out of Touch

Researchers identify an inhibitor of STOML3 that reverses mechanical hypersensitivity in mice

by Matthew Soleiman on 23 Jan 2017

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A nerve injury can render even the softest touch painful. This hypersensitivity, known as tactile allodynia, stems in part from the actions of stomatin-like protein-3 (STOML3), a protein that’s…

Research

A Bright Future for Brain Imaging of Pain

In plenary talk at IASP World Congress on Pain, Irene Tracey emphasized translational potential of neuroimaging research

by Katherine Martucci on 17 Jan 2017

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Irene Tracey, University of Oxford, UK, summarized the contributions of neuroimaging to pain research, and directions for future investigations, during “Translating Neuroimaging Discovery Science for Patient Benefit,” a plenary…

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A Novel Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist May Unlock New Treatment Strategies for Pain

Biased agonism at KOR relieves pain and itch while avoiding side effects

by Hillary Doyle on 9 Jan 2017

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Activation of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) relieves pain and itch. However, downstream recruitment of β-arrestin proteins and accompanying dysphoria—a feeling of discomfort or aversion—and sedation prevent drugs targeting…

Drug Development

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Autism Gene Modulates Thermal Pain

SHANK3, a gene closely associated with autism spectrum disorders, regulates TRPV1 function, possibly contributing to changes in pain sensitivity seen in autism

Nathan Fried on 4 Jan 2017

Comment

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are most often described in terms of their associated cognitive, social, and communication deficits, but ASDs are also characterized by extensive changes to sensory perception,…

Research

Most DRG Sensory Neurons Are Modality-Specific, Not Polymodal

In vivo calcium imaging in mice illuminates long-standing question in the field

by Allison Marin on 26 Dec 2016

The use of genetically encoded calcium indicators in vivo reveals polymodality is a rare phenomenon in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Instead, most of these neurons respond specifically…

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PRF’s Top News Stories and Papers of the Week for 2016

News covering precision pain medicine, and a paper on a new technique to visualize populations of DRG neurons, come out on top

by PRF Team on 19 Dec 2016

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The new year—2017!—is almost here, so it’s a good time to review the most popular news articles and papers from the past year on PRF. We used Google Analytics to…

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A New Form of Synaptic Plasticity in Pain Pathways

Glial cells trigger long-term potentiation at active, and inactive, synapses in the spinal cord of rats

by Matthew Soleiman on 12 Dec 2016

Comment

Chronic pain is thought to involve the long-lasting strengthening of synapses, akin to what happens during the formation of new memories. This phenomenon, known as long-term potentiation (LTP), is…

Research

From the Gut to the Brain and Back Again: The Importance of the Microbiome in Visceral Pain

Plenary lecture by John Cryan at 2016 World Congress on Pain described the role of the gut microbiota in pain responses

by Genevieve D’souza on 5 Dec 2016

Comment

Editor’s note: The International Association for the Study of Pain’s 16th World Congress on Pain took place from September 26-30, 2016, in Yokohama, Japan. Nearly 4,500 pain researchers and clinicians…

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Meeting Report: Virtual Reality Pain 2016

New technology opens virtual world for pain treatment

by Stephani Sutherland on 29 Nov 2016

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When Dave Thomas initially talked to people at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about funding research on virtual reality (VR) back in 2004, most were skeptical or dismissive.…

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DREADD Inhibition of Nociceptors: Interpret Results With Caution

Chemogenetic technique to produce analgesia in mice also disrupts endogenous signaling

by Allison Marin on 21 Nov 2016

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The designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) system can be used to suppress nociceptors, resulting in analgesia to heat, reports a new mouse study. But thanks to…

Research

Olfactory Cues Facilitate the Social Transfer of Pain in Mice

Control animals housed in same room but different cage as experimental animals experience pain hypersensitivity

by Nathan Fried on 9 Nov 2016

Social influences can profoundly modulate pain in both humans and rodents. A handful of studies have shown that when two animals experience the same pain stimulus while housed together,…

Research

Why Do Naked Mole-Rats Show an Absence of Pain Sensitization?

Tweaks to TrkA, a nerve growth factor receptor, explain lack of heat hyperalgesia in the animals

by Matthew Soleiman on 3 Nov 2016

Comment

The naked mole-rat is not your typical rodent. It’s cold-blooded, lives for decades, and does not experience certain forms of pain. Now, researchers led by Gary Lewin, Max Delbrück…

Research

Patients With PIEZO2 Mutations Show Deficits in Mechanosensation and Proprioception

Results parallel findings from knockout mice, but the transducer of human mechanical pain remains unknown

by Hillary Doyle on 17 Oct 2016

Comment

Mechanosensation—the ability to sense force—is a fundamental sensory process in people and other animals. However, while researchers have made progress in identifying molecular mechanisms of mechanosensation in animal studies,…

Research

Novel Imaging Technique Reveals Coupled Activation of Primary Sensory Neurons After Nerve Injury

Neuron-to-neuron coupling, and neuron-to-satellite glia coupling, both occur in the dorsal root ganglion during chronic pain; role for gap junctions identified

by Hillary Doyle on 20 Sep 2016

Comment

Primary sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are responsible for transmission of pain signals from the periphery to the spinal cord. Sensitization of these neurons through tissue…

Research

An Opioid-like Drug Dulls Pain With Fewer Side Effects

New molecule biases µ-opioid receptor signaling toward G protein pathway

by Matthew Soleiman on 16 Sep 2016

Comment

Opioids remain a mainstay of pain therapy, but their addictive qualities and sometimes life-threatening side effects, such as respiratory depression, have fueled the search for better drugs. Now, a…

Drug Development

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Is It Time to Deprioritize Preclinical Pain Research?

At the North American Pain School, trainees debated the pros and cons of the issue

by Nathan Fried on 13 Sep 2016

Comment

Editor’s Note:The first-ever North American Pain School (NAPS) took place June 26-30, 2016, in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. An educational initiative of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP);…

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Dialogue, Dialogue, Dialogue: Strategies to Facilitate Translation

The development of new and effective analgesics requires ongoing, productive, back-and-forth communication between basic scientists and clinicians

by Ram Kandasamy on 30 Aug 2016

Comment

Editor’s Note: The first-ever North American Pain School (NAPS) took place June 26-30, 2016, in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. An educational initiative of the International Association for the Study of Pain…

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Spinal Cord Neurons Encode Heat and Cold in Different Ways

Mouse neurons represent absolute temperature for heat, change in temperature for cold

by Matthew Soleiman on 26 Aug 2016

Comment

Our sense of temperature can tell us whether an environment is hospitable or harmful. Researchers have spent over half a century deciphering how nerve fibers in the skin represent…

Research

Overcoming the “Valleys of Death”: Strategies to Make Research Have Impact After Publication

Pain researchers are using social media platforms to disseminate new findings and increase research translation

by Erinn Acland on 8 Aug 2016

Comment

Editor’s Note: The first-ever North American Pain School (NAPS) took place June 26-30, 2016, in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. An educational initiative of the International Association for the Study of Pain…

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The Two Faces of Adenosine

Long recognized as an analgesic when acting through its A1 receptor, adenosine also contributes to chronic pain through its A2B receptor and subsequent neuroimmune signaling

by Matthew Soleiman on 26 Jul 2016

Comment

Over several decades, adenosine—a purine nucleoside involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes—has gained a reputation as a molecule that relieves pain. But there have also been scattered reports…

Research

Spinal Cord Circuitry: Wired for Allodynia

A recent PRF webinar examined dorsal horn mechanisms contributing to neuropathic pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 21 Jul 2016

Comment

Allodynia is a hallmark of neuropathic pain in which normally non-painful stimuli, such as a light touch, evoke pain. Researchers have recently taken strides toward understanding the neuronal circuitry…

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Highlights From the 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society: Part 3

How plasticity creates a “pain biography”

by Stephani Sutherland on 28 Jun 2016

The following is Part 3 of a three-part series of selected presentations from the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) held May 11-14, 2016, in…

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Highlights From the 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society: Part 2

APS Basic Science Shared Interest Group Dinner and Town Hall Discussion: Animal Models and Testing in Preclinical Pain Research

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Jun 2016

The following is Part 2 of a three-part series of selected presentations from the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) held May 11-14, 2016, in…

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Leaving a Mark: Changes in the Epigenome During Chronic Pain

Nerve injury produces molecular footprints in spinal cord microglia in an animal model, possibly priming the cells for subsequent pain

by Matthew Soleiman on 6 Jun 2016

Comment

Why pain persists well after a nerve injury has taken place remains a key question for pain researchers. The enduring aspect of chronic pain suggests that lasting changes in…

Research

Highlights From the 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society: Part 1

Exercise may protect against subsequent neuropathic pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 26 May 2016

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The following is Part 1 of a three-part series of selected presentations from the 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) held May 11-14, 2016, in…

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Tracking the Natural History of Small Fiber Neuropathy

Longitudinal, case-control study points to the rate of intraepidermal nerve fiber loss as a possible diagnostic measure

by Matthew Soleiman on 18 May 2016

Comment

In small fiber neuropathy (SFN), the degeneration of thinly myelinated and unmyelinated sensory axons is associated with symptoms such as pain, tingling, and numbness. In diagnosing the condition, clinicians…

Research

The Long Road to Precision Pain Medicine

From gene to drug: targeting Nav1.7 mutations in inherited erythromelalgia

by Stephani Sutherland on 10 May 2016

Comment

Voltage-gated sodium channels found in sensory neurons—and the channel dubbed Nav1.7 in particular—are prime targets when it comes to developing the next generation of pain drugs. Nav1.7 is an…

Drug Development

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Kinase Inhibition Improves Neuropathic Pain in Mice

Knockout of WNK1 splice variant implicated in human disorder protects animals from pain, via effects on potassium-chloride co-transporter, restoration of GABA inhibitory action

by Allison Marin on 4 May 2016

Comment

The WNK1/HSN2 kinase, mutated in a hereditary form of pain insensitivity, contributes to neuropathic pain and is a potential new target for analgesic drugs, reports a new mouse study.

Research

Mindfulness Effective for Chronic Low Back Pain in Clinical Trial

A second study hints at how mindfulness reduces acute pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 15 Apr 2016

Comment

Government officials, physicians, and the public are increasingly aware of a need to move away from using opiate drugs to treat chronic pain. More and more, doctors are searching…

Research

Botulinum Toxin Offers Relief From Neuropathic Pain

Clinical trial finds repeated injections are effective and safe, particularly in patients with more severe allodynia and greater nerve fiber density

by Matthew Soleiman on 7 Apr 2016

Comment

Since its initial use to treat muscle hyperactivity, botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A), a bacterially derived toxin that blocks neurotransmitter release, has been studied for possible analgesic effects. Several…

Drug Development

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Tiny Population of Oxytocin Neurons Controls Analgesia in Rats

Activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus improves inflammatory pain

by Allison Marin on 31 Mar 2016

Comment

A new study identifies a very small population of about 30 specialized parvocellular oxytocin (OT) neurons that project simultaneously to the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus and to…

Research

Peripheral Afferent Drive Reduced in Chronic Inflammatory Pain

Differences also emerge between young and aged mice

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Mar 2016

Comment

A major question facing the pain field remains: Is chronic pain maintained by changes in the central nervous system (CNS) alone, or does primary afferent nerve input contribute? Now,…

Research

Stress Regulation Gene Drives Development and Maintenance of Chronic Pain in Mice

Blocking FKBP51 modulates glucocorticoid signaling to reduce mechanical hypersensitivity

by Allison Marin on 2 Mar 2016

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Spinal FKBP51, a gene known to play a role in the brain’s stress response, is important for the development and maintenance of chronic pain, reports a new mouse study…

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Exploiting Opioid Receptor Variants for Safer Analgesics

A recent PRF webinar examined the effects of mu-opioid receptor gene splicing on analgesic and off-target effects of drugs

by Stephani Sutherland on 22 Feb 2016

Comment

Patients respond differently—and unpredictably—to opioid drugs in terms of efficacy and side effects; these individual variations arise from genetic differences. Although the drugs act at the mu-opioid receptor (MOR),…

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A New Role for a Chemokine in Neuropathic Pain

Spinal CXCL13 acts via its receptor, CXCR5, to directly activate astrocytes, leading to mechanical and thermal pain sensitivity in mice

by Matthew Soleiman on 9 Feb 2016

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During neuropathic pain, sensory neurons in the spinal cord communicate with surrounding glial cells, including astrocytes and microglia. A number of chemokines are well recognized to contribute to this…

Research

Will Death in French Drug Trial Lead to Tighter Phase 1 Rules?

Clinical trial of FAAH inhibitor has tragic consequences

by Madolyn Bowman Rogers on 1 Feb 2016

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Editor’s note: The following was adapted, with permission, from a news story that originally appeared on the Alzforum.

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Cytokine CSF1 Identified as a Key Signal From Injured Sensory Neurons to Microglia

CSF1 released from dorsal root ganglion neurons induces microglial activation and mechanical hypersensitivity in mouse model of neuropathic pain

by Allison Marin on 12 Jan 2016

Comment

Microglial activation has long been implicated in neuropathic pain, but the signal from injured sensory neurons that prompts this response has remained elusive—until now. Researchers led by Zhonghui Guan,…

Research

Autoimmunity May Help Explain Chronic Pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Autoantibodies from RA patients administered to mice cause pain-like behavior, independent of inflammation, through chemokine signaling

by Matthew Soleiman on 4 Jan 2016

Comment

Joint inflammation is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and causes pain, yet joint pain is commonly observed before signs of inflammation become evident. Now, researchers led by Camilla…

Research

Pain in the ACC

A commentary on Lieberman and Eisenberger, 2015

by Tor Wager on 23 Dec 2015

Comment

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is widely regarded as a processing nexus for effortful cognitive operations and affective states, including pain. Meta-analyses of the dACC (Shackman et al. 2011;…

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Ion Channel Mutation Identified in Family With Rare Cold-Aggravated Pain

Evidence accumulates for role of voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.9 in cold pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 21 Dec 2015

Rare, inherited pain disorders remain largely mysterious, but researchers continue to identify genetic mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) that may give rise to them. Now, Enrico Leipold, Ingo…

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What Caught Your Eye This Year? PRF’s Top News Stories and Papers of the Week for 2015

News covering the pain-anxiety connection, and a paper offering a meta-analysis of pharmacological treatments for neuropathic pain are the winners

by PRF Team on 21 Dec 2015

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As we head into a new year, it’s a good time to look back at the research that kept the attention of PRF readers over the past year. Using Google…

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Highlights From the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience: Part 3

New optogenetic devices under development are ultra-miniaturized and implantable

by Stephani Sutherland on 17 Dec 2015

Comment

The following is Part 3 of a three-part series of selected presentations from the 2015 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held October 17-21, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois,…

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Highlights From the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience: Part 2

Nerve growth factor antibody treatment quells pain in rodent models

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Dec 2015

Comment

The following is Part 2 of a three-part series of selected presentations from the 2015 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held October 17-21, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois,…

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Highlights From the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience: Part 1

Researchers explore cannabinoid strategies to quell pain

by Stephani Sutherland on 14 Dec 2015

Comment

The following is Part 1 of a three-part series of selected talks from the 2015 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held October 17-21, 2015, in Chicago, Illinois,…

Conferences

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Epigenetic Regulator Controls Development and Maintenance of Chronic Pain

Histone methyltransferase G9a reprograms potassium channel gene expression, drives pain following nerve injury in rodents

by Matthew Soleiman on 30 Nov 2015

Comment

Chronic pain is associated with changes in expression of thousands of genes, making it hard to identify viable genetic targets for pain therapies. Pain researchers have thus turned to…

Research

Spinal Inhibitory Interneuron Populations Identified as Gatekeepers of Pain and Itch

Neurons containing parvalbumin or neuropeptide Y control mechanical allodynia and itch, respectively

by Allison Marin on 23 Nov 2015

Comment

Two new mouse studies pinpoint two different groups of dorsal horn inhibitory interneurons as gatekeepers of mechanical allodynia and itch. In the first study, researchers led by Reza Sharif-Naeini,…

Research

A New Marker for A-beta Fibers Offers Appealing Target for Chronic Pain Treatment

Toll-like receptor 5 provides entryway for drugs to quell pain in several mouse models

by Stephani Sutherland on 16 Nov 2015

Among the hallmarks of neuropathic pain is the phenomenon of mechanical allodynia, in which normally non-painful stimuli—such as clothing rubbing against the skin, or even a person simply walking—produce…

Research

The Origins of Migraine: Inside or Outside the Brain?

Neuropeptide PACAP-38 triggers sensitization of central trigeminovascular neurons in rats, but both peripheral and central mechanisms likely contribute to the condition

by Matthew Soleiman on 4 Nov 2015

Comment

Migraine is one of the most common and disabling chronic conditions throughout the world. The disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of throbbing headache, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting,…

Research

Persistent Mechanical Pain: Delving Into Dorsal Horn Circuitry

Transient population of VGLUT3 neurons contributes to mechanical allodynia in mice

by Allison Marin on 14 Oct 2015

Comment

New research has uncovered a spinal cord circuit, centered on excitatory interneurons in the deep dorsal horn, that plays a key role in persistent mechanical pain. The cells transiently…

Research

Location, Location, Location: TRPV1 Agonist Hits the Spot for Pain Relief

Computed tomography imaging aids in delivery of resiniferatoxin to ablate peripheral pain fibers and reduce thermal pain in pigs

by Matthew Soleiman on 13 Oct 2015

Comment

Current treatments for chronic pain have important limitations. For instance, opioids are the most common therapy, but they have serious side effects and carry the risk of abuse and…

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