Stem cell protein MIF to reduce tooth and facial pain
Official title: Evaluation of the Role of Macrophage Migratory Inhibitory Factor (MIF) in mediating Stem Cell Analgesia in a Model of Orofacial Pain
Funded at University of Texas Hlth Science Center · NIH-11259457 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a protein released by dental stem cells (MIF) can calm nerve signals and reduce tooth‑related facial pain for people with infected teeth (apical periodontitis).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $463,838 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE031352-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11259457 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with apical periodontitis (infected teeth causing persistent dental or facial pain) would be the most likely candidates for future treatments based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose pain comes from non‑dental causes or from conditions not driven by trigeminal nerve sensitization are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers use human stem cells from the tip of developing teeth (hSCAP) and give them systemically in animal models of infected teeth to see if they relieve pain behaviors. They measure nerve cell activity in trigeminal neurons in lab dishes and look at pain responses in animals, including mechanical sensitivity and spontaneous pain measures. The team will block MIF with antibodies and create hSCAP lines with MIF removed by CRISPR to see if loss of MIF stops the pain relief. They will also study nerve receptors (CXCR4 and CD74) to understand how MIF acts on sensory neurons.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new stem cell‑derived or MIF‑based treatments that reduce dental and facial pain without opioids.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical work shows hSCAP injections can reverse tooth‑infection pain and that blocking MIF alters neuron responses, but these findings remain at the animal/cell level and have not been proven in people.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Hlth Science Center
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ruparel, Nikita — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Ruparel, Nikita
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immune and nerve signals behind acupuncture relief for sickle cell pain
This NIH grant explores how acupuncture helps reduce pain and opioid use for people with sickle cell disease.
-
Personalized pain prevention around surgery
This project tests ways to tailor pain-prevention treatments for people having surgery to reduce the chance of long-lasting post-surgical pain.
-
Pain sensitivity, alcohol analgesia, and heavy drinking in people with opioid use disorder
A short, patient-friendly look at how pain sensitivity and alcohol’s pain-relieving effects might influence heavy drinking in people with opioid use disorder.
-
Long-term activation of the body's own pain-relief system in the spinal cord and brainstem
A study at the University of Pittsburgh will test how the body's natural opioid system can stay active for a long time after pain or opioid exposure, with potential implications for better pain control.
-
Personalized perioperative pain prevention for high-risk patients
A research program at Stanford is exploring why some people have long-lasting pain after surgery and how to prevent it in patients who are most at risk.
-
Sickle Cell Disease Pain Analgesia and Integrative Network for Better Pain Care
A national network is being built to better understand and manage pain in adults with sickle cell disease using integrative, whole-health approaches.
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.