Chemogenetic approaches to treat chronic pain
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Warwick Medical School
Abstract
Programme overview:
This MRC-funded doctoral training partnership (DTP) brings together cutting-edge molecular and analytical sciences with innovative computational approaches in data analysis to enable students to undertake important applied biomedical research in partnership with industry. This is a 4-year programme whose first year involves a series of taught modules and two laboratory-based research projects that lead to an MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. The first two terms consist of a selection of taught modules that allow students to gain a solid grounding in multidisciplinary science. Students also attend a series of masterclasses led by academic and industry experts in areas of molecular, cellular and tissue dynamics, microbiology and infection, applied biomedical technologies and artificial intelligence and data science. During the third and summer terms students conduct two eleven-week research projects in labs of their choice.
Project:
Chronic pain has been described as a silent epidemic, affecting a vast section of the population. Current therapies are inadequate, in part reflecting our lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and designing ways to selectively target the condition without having adverse side-effects. In this PhD project the student will work in collaboration with NeuroSolutions Ltd (Industry partner) to investigate the utility of a novel chemogenetic approach to treat neuropathic pain. Chemogenetics permits the selective control of cell function, including abnormal electrical activity in nerves, by using viruses to install engineered receptors sensitive to a chemical designed to target the receptor. A characteristic feature of neuropathic pain is abnormal electrical activity in the sensory nervous system. This project will investigate the effects of ion channel-based designer targeted cell therapies in models of neuropathic pain using behavioural analysis in in vivo models of neuropathic pain and in vitro electrophysiology analysis of neuronal excitability.
We hypothesise that installing engineered receptors into specific areas driving abnormal electrical activity in neuropathic pain states will permit selective pharmacological manipulation of this activity and suppress neuropathic pain. This research will facilitate new, improved therapeutic approaches to treat chronic pain.
This MRC-funded doctoral training partnership (DTP) brings together cutting-edge molecular and analytical sciences with innovative computational approaches in data analysis to enable students to undertake important applied biomedical research in partnership with industry. This is a 4-year programme whose first year involves a series of taught modules and two laboratory-based research projects that lead to an MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. The first two terms consist of a selection of taught modules that allow students to gain a solid grounding in multidisciplinary science. Students also attend a series of masterclasses led by academic and industry experts in areas of molecular, cellular and tissue dynamics, microbiology and infection, applied biomedical technologies and artificial intelligence and data science. During the third and summer terms students conduct two eleven-week research projects in labs of their choice.
Project:
Chronic pain has been described as a silent epidemic, affecting a vast section of the population. Current therapies are inadequate, in part reflecting our lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and designing ways to selectively target the condition without having adverse side-effects. In this PhD project the student will work in collaboration with NeuroSolutions Ltd (Industry partner) to investigate the utility of a novel chemogenetic approach to treat neuropathic pain. Chemogenetics permits the selective control of cell function, including abnormal electrical activity in nerves, by using viruses to install engineered receptors sensitive to a chemical designed to target the receptor. A characteristic feature of neuropathic pain is abnormal electrical activity in the sensory nervous system. This project will investigate the effects of ion channel-based designer targeted cell therapies in models of neuropathic pain using behavioural analysis in in vivo models of neuropathic pain and in vitro electrophysiology analysis of neuronal excitability.
We hypothesise that installing engineered receptors into specific areas driving abnormal electrical activity in neuropathic pain states will permit selective pharmacological manipulation of this activity and suppress neuropathic pain. This research will facilitate new, improved therapeutic approaches to treat chronic pain.
