Despite this, our knowledge of the specific nerve cell populations within spinal pain signalling circuits is limited. This poses a major barrier to new and more effective pain therapies.
Our group has developed a range of techniques to study pain signalling at the level of individual nerve cells, circuits, and in the whole body, all built around a new technology termed ‘optogenetics’. Optogenetics is a powerful tool that uses light-sensitive proteins to switch nerve cell activity on or off. This gives us the capacity to study the function of brain and spinal cord circuits with unprecedented detail. Importantly, we are currently leading efforts to bring this technology to bear in spinal pain signalling research. We are therefore well positioned to make a substantial contribution to our understanding of pain signalling circuits.
This project aims to test these predictions using our optogenetic preparations and two laboratory models of chronic pain. Importantly, one of the models reflects inflammatory pain (eg, arthritis), whereas the other model reflects neuropathic pain (eg, nerve injury). This will allow us to assess the relevance of each cell type (CR, PV, and ChAT) to the two main forms of chronic pain.
The results of this work will advance our understanding of how pain signals are relayed through the spinal cord under normal conditions and in chronic pain states. This information can then be used to develop new pain drugs that specifically modify CR, PV, and ChAT cell activity and restore spinal pain signalling circuits to normal.
Associate Professor Brett Graham, Dr Phil Jobling, Ms Kelly Smith