Targeted gene therapy for facial pain neurons
Official title: Targeted Gene Delivery to Trigeminal Nociceptors
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11434292 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers aim to pinpoint the nerve cells in the face that cause trigeminal pain and develop a gene therapy to silence them safely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $694,824 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DE036397-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11434292 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with trigeminal neuralgia or related facial pain conditions who could be candidates for future gene-therapy-based treatments.
✕Less likely to help
People without trigeminal pain or those not eligible for gene therapy approaches may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on trigeminal neuralgia, a condition causing severe facial pain and high distress. Using specialized mouse lines and validated pain models, the team will map which trigeminal nerve cells drive chronic pain. They will use single-cell and epigenomic methods to find gene switches that only activate in pain-sensing neurons. Then they’ll design AAV-based therapies that target those neurons without harming other cells in the nervous system. The work combines cutting-edge genetics with gene therapy to create a precise, potential treatment pathway.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to targeted therapies that relieve facial pain with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Similar targeted neural therapies have shown promise in preclinical models, but this exact neuron subtype targeting in trigeminal pain is exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Renthal, William Russell — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Renthal, William Russell
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.