Spinal cord nerve cell types that process touch before and after injury
Comprehensive Phenotyping of Specific Populations of Spinal Neurons Processing Cutaneous Information Before and After Injury
Looking at how spinal cord nerve cells that handle touch change after injury to help people with chronic pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11170724 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use genetically modified mice whose spinal neurons light up when active so they can watch hundreds of cells at once in a skin–spinal cord preparation. They will use two-photon calcium imaging to record how these neurons respond to touch in animals before and after an injury that causes persistent pain. Because imaging alone cannot identify cell types, the team will then apply drugs that selectively activate different receptors while normal activity is silenced to reveal which cells belong to which groups. The goal is to map which neuron types become overactive and may drive the heightened sensitivity to touch after injury.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll people directly, but adults with chronic neuropathic or injury-related pain could be future candidates for clinical studies built on these findings.
Not a fit: People whose pain is unrelated to spinal sensory processing or who have primarily psychological pain syndromes may not receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific spinal cell types to target for safer, more effective chronic pain treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Animal-based imaging work has previously mapped pain-related spinal circuits, but combining large-scale calcium imaging with post-hoc pharmacological cell-type identification is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koerber, H Richard — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Koerber, H Richard
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.