Reducing nerve pain after spinal cord injury by blocking the protein MIF
Official title: Regulation of nociceptor excitability by macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a therapeutic strategy for chronic pain treatment after spinal cord injury
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston · NIH-11303245 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will try blocking a protein called MIF to calm overactive pain nerves in adults who have long-term pain after a spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $336,181 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140665-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303245 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury would be the most relevant group for future trials based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People with pain from non-neuropathic causes or conditions unrelated to spinal cord injury are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone with spinal cord injury pain, the researchers are studying a protein called macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) that can make pain-sensing nerves fire too much. They use lab tests and animal models to see how MIF changes nerve activity in the dorsal root ganglia and examine drug-like ways to block that effect. The work connects those lab findings to levels of MIF measured in people with spinal cord injury so the approach is grounded in human biology. If the lab blocking methods work, they could guide new treatments to reduce ongoing nerve firing that drives chronic pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new treatments that reduce abnormal nerve activity and lower chronic neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have gone: Other preclinical work shows anti-inflammatory approaches can reduce neuropathic pain, but directly targeting MIF is a relatively new and promising laboratory-level approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bavencoffe, Alexis Guillaume — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Bavencoffe, Alexis Guillaume
Related research
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Exploring a new treatment for chronic pain after spinal cord injury
This study is looking at how a protein called MIF affects nerve cells that send pain signals after a spinal cord injury, with the hope of finding new ways to help people who are dealing with chronic pain from these injuries.
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Corticospinal neurons and recovery of precise forelimb movement after spinal cord injury
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A study in rodents and people tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation of the motor cortex can reduce chronic pain and how best to target it.
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Targeting spinal cord inflammation with a new HuR inhibitor to help SCI patients
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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.