Human nerve tissue recovery to understand chronic pain
Human Tissue Procurement and Processing Core
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS · NIH-11171510
Collecting spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia, and peripheral nerve tissues from organ donors and some surgical patients to learn how nerves change in chronic disabling pain.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (RICHARDSON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11171510 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
We collect dorsal root ganglia (DRG), spinal cord, and peripheral nerve tissues from organ donors and certain surgical patients to see how human pain-sensing nerves change with persistent pain. We partner with organ recovery agencies and hospitals and aim to recover tissue from about 50 donors per year. We are building the necessary paperwork and hospital procedures (IRB templates and SOPs) so more sites can safely collect and share these samples. The tissues and resulting datasets will be shared with researchers to help guide development of better pain treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are organ donors or patients undergoing relevant surgical procedures who can consent to donate DRG, spinal cord, or peripheral nerve tissue, especially those with chronic disabling pain.
Not a fit: People who are not organ donors, not undergoing the specific surgeries, or who do not consent to tissue donation are unlikely to directly benefit from participating in this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help researchers discover how human pain nerves change in chronic pain and guide development of more effective therapies.
How similar studies have performed: The team has already recovered over 60 donor DRG/spinal cord sets through prior collaborations and published methods and findings, so this builds on established successes.
Where this research is happening
RICHARDSON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS — RICHARDSON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SHIERS, STEPHANIE — UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DALLAS
- Study coordinator: SHIERS, STEPHANIE
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.