Immune control of pain in head and other cancers
Neuro-immune modulation of pain in health and disease
Learning whether turning on an immune pathway called STING in pain-sensing nerves can relieve severe cancer pain and work safely with cancer immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11164801 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers at Duke will study how activating the STING immune pathway in nerves affects pain from head and neck cancers using laboratory and animal models. Earlier work showed that STING activation reduced pain in mice and non‑human primates, so the team will explore mechanisms and safety, including how STING drugs interact with cancer immunotherapies. The project focuses on pain that comes with oral and oropharyngeal cancers and aims to find approaches that relieve pain without interfering with cancer treatments. If results are promising, this preclinical work could support future human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who have moderate to severe pain not controlled by current medications would be the most relevant group.
Not a fit: Patients with non-cancer pain conditions or those seeking immediate treatment now may not directly benefit from this primarily preclinical grant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new pain medicines for cancer patients that relieve suffering while remaining compatible with cancer immunotherapies.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies have already shown STING activation reduces pain in mice and non‑human primates, but using STING-targeting drugs for human pain is still new and untested in patients.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Donnelly, Christopher Ryan — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Donnelly, Christopher Ryan
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.