How nerve–immune signals cause autoimmune pain after injury
Official title: Neural immunoregulation of post-traumatic autoimmunity
Funded at Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research · NIH-11145055 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether nerve-driven immune reactions and antibodies cause long-lasting pain after injuries in people with conditions like CRPS, chronic low back pain, or osteoarthritis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2016 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $511,139 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS094438-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145055 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic post-traumatic pain such as complex regional pain syndrome, long-standing low back pain, or osteoarthritis who can provide blood or other samples and are willing to attend study visits.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose pain is clearly caused by active infection, cancer, or purely structural problems unlikely to involve immune or antibody mechanisms may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers compare blood and tissue findings from people with post-injury chronic pain to experiments in mice to learn how antibodies, complement, and immune cells cause pain. They measure IgM autoantibodies found in patients, study C5a complement signaling and activation of macrophages and microglia, and track how neuropeptide and sympathetic (adrenergic) signals promote antibody accumulation. In mice they use passive transfer and genetically modified animals to test whether blocking these immune pathways reduces pain. Results will guide whether treatments that block antibodies or complement might relieve chronic post-traumatic pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new therapies that block harmful antibodies or complement signaling to reduce chronic post-injury pain.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work identified IgM autoantibodies in CRPS patients and showed immune/complement-driven pain in mouse models, but translating these findings into human treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
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Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kingery, Wade S — Palo Alto Veterans Instit for Research
- Study coordinator: Kingery, Wade S
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.