Gene therapy to relieve spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain
Evaluation of 6SHG/EM1 as a treatment for spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain in a pig model
This project tests a one-time gene therapy (6SHG/EM1) to reduce long-lasting neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury using a pig model to help move toward human treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Decatur, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11212754 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team delivers a gene construct carrying six copies of an NMDA-blocking peptide (serine-histrogranin) and one copy of the opioid-like peptide endomorphin-1 into the spinal cord using an AAV vector. They will test the treatment in a clinically relevant pig model using back-translated quantitative sensory testing and a pig pain scale that captures both reflexive and supraspinal pain responses. Researchers will confirm where the transgenes are expressed in spinal cord cells near the injection site and compare pig outcomes to earlier rodent results that showed lasting relief. The aim is to validate safety and effectiveness in a large animal before moving toward human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal future candidates would be adults with chronic neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury who are potentially eligible for localized spinal gene therapy.
Not a fit: People whose pain is not neuropathic or not related to spinal cord injury, or who cannot undergo spinal procedures or gene therapies, are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to a single, long-lasting therapy that reduces neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have performed: Rodent studies (Jergova et al., 2017) showed strong and durable pain relief with the same gene construct, and this pig work aims to build on that success.
Where this research is happening
Decatur, UNITED STATES
- Veterans Health Administration — Decatur, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Floyd, Candace L. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Floyd, Candace L.
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.