Oxytocin in the brain for recovery from nerve injury pain
Central oxytocin mechanisms of pain recovery following nerve injury
This work tests whether oxytocin acting in the brain can ease ongoing pain after nerve injury and to guide dosing that might help people with nerve pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11314606 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will measure how oxytocin moves into the blood and brain of awake and anesthetized rats to define realistic dosing and brain exposure. They will use those data to design infusion approaches and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling. The team will use a novel transgenic rat that marks oxytocin-producing neurons to see whether those central circuits change pain-related behaviors after nerve injury. Results are intended to clarify whether brain or peripheral oxytocin actions are most important and to inform future human dosing and trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with chronic neuropathic pain from nerve injury would be the most likely future candidates for trials informed by this research.
Not a fit: Patients with non-neuropathic pain types (for example, pain from inflammation or acute postoperative pain) may not benefit from oxytocin-based approaches developed here.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to oxytocin-based dosing strategies or treatments that reduce chronic neuropathic pain.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies show oxytocin can reduce pain in rodents, but translation to humans and optimal brain-penetrant dosing remain unclear.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martin, Thomas Jeffrey — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Martin, Thomas Jeffrey
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.