Gene therapy that targets immune cells to reduce surgery and inflammation pain
Cell-directed gene therapy for pain recovery after surgery and inflammation
This project aims to reduce lingering pain after surgery or inflammatory joint conditions by delivering a gene therapy to specific immune cells called macrophages.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11295426 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers found that boosting a gene called ED2/CD163 in macrophages helped wounds heal faster and lowered inflammatory signals linked to pain in lab-grown human skin and in rats. The team will use nanoparticles designed to deliver this gene specifically to macrophages and will test whether increasing or blocking the gene changes pain after a surgical wound model (SMIR) and in a knee inflammation model (CFA-induced arthritis). They will measure pain-related behaviors relevant to everyday activity, along with tissue healing, immune cell responses, and gene expression in cells and tissues. If results are promising, the work could guide therapies that target local immune cells to reduce sub‑acute postoperative and inflammatory pain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People recovering from surgery who have ongoing sub‑acute surgical pain or individuals with inflammatory knee pain or arthritis would be the types of patients who might benefit from therapies developed here.
Not a fit: Patients with primarily neuropathic pain unrelated to local inflammation or those with widespread systemic autoimmune conditions may not benefit from this targeted, inflammation-focused approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could produce new treatments that reduce postoperative and inflammatory pain while potentially lowering the need for opioids.
How similar studies have performed: Early lab and animal work supports macrophage‑targeting to influence inflammation and healing, but this specific CD163 gene‑delivery approach is novel and has not yet been tested in people.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Romero-Sandoval, E. Alfonso — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Romero-Sandoval, E. Alfonso
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.