Grant: Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program

Chronic pain is a major burden on society due to its debilitating effect on patients, costing the Canadian economy ~40 Billion Dollars. Many chronic pain patients do not respond well to currently available treatments, and new therapeutic approaches are needed. Pain stimuli are detected by peripheral nerves and then transmitted to the brain where they are perceived as something unpleasant. Precisely how this processing occurs remains a mystery. Recent technological advances have permitted novel insights into brain circuits and function. Our team proposes to capitalize on these new technologies to figure out how different types of peripheral nerve fibers communicate with the brain, and how the brain processes these signals. To accomplish this, we will utilize a technique called "optogenetics" which allows us to activate specific brain circuits in living mice using laser light, and then measure its consequences on pain sensitivity in various models of neuropathic (i.e., nerve) pain. We combine these approaches with a molecular tool kit to figure out how the brain processes pain signals. We hope to use this information to devise new ways of interfering with pain, with the end goal of bringing relief to the vast number of chronic pain sufferers.