Gene therapy to relieve spinal cord injury-related neuropathic pain
Official title: Evaluation of 6SHG/EM1 as a treatment for spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain in a pig model
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11212754 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | October 1, 2021 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005203-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212754 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal future candidates would be adults with chronic neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury who are potentially eligible for localized spinal gene therapy.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Veterans Health Administration
Decatur, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Floyd, Candace L. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Floyd, Candace L.
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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.