Cell makeup and signals in painful nerve neuromas
Project 2: The cell types and states of painful neuromas
They will collect painful neuroma and nearby normal nerve tissue to map the cells and molecular signals that drive nerve pain, aiming to help people with painful neuromas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11163260 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, surgeons will collect neuroma tissue and nearby intact nerve during surgery to add to a biobank. Researchers will analyze your samples with modern methods that read which genes and proteins are active and will use detailed tissue imaging to map cell types and where they sit. The team will compare samples from people with pain and those without to look for molecular patterns tied specifically to pain, including immune or glial cell activity or genetic differences. Those results could point scientists to why neuromas hurt and suggest new targets for future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates include people with symptomatic (painful) neuromas who are having surgery or are willing to donate nerve tissue or clinical data.
Not a fit: People whose pain comes from central nervous system causes, diffuse neuropathies without localized neuromas, or who cannot undergo tissue donation are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify biological targets for new pain treatments or tests that better match therapies to people with neuroma pain.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and small human studies have suggested immune and glial involvement in neuroma pain, but a large human biobank with multi-omics profiling is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woolf, Clifford J — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Woolf, Clifford J
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 below.