A recent study by the research group in Neuropharmacology of Pain of the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA) has compiled and analyzed the main Strategies for measuring spontaneous pain in the context of neuropathic pain in animal models. This work highlights the use of innovative methodologies to assess the spontaneous component of pain, a fundamental aspect of neuropathic pain that affects millions of people worldwide.
Neuropathic pain is a prevalent pathology for which There is still no pharmacological treatment fully effective. Furthermore, in recent years, several drugs that had shown promising results in animal models have failed in clinical trials. This is largely because pain assessment in these preclinical studies has been based primarily on the assessment of reflex responses to mechanical or thermal stimuli. However, in patients with neuropathic pain, the main concern is spontaneous or non-evoked pain, rather than stimulus-induced pain (such as mechanical or thermal allodynia). Therefore, the team suggests that incorporating spontaneous pain measurement in preclinical studies could improve the translation of results to the clinical context, thereby increasing the chances of success in clinical trials of new analgesics.
In collaboration with scientists from the University of Granada, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the International University of La Rioja, the team conducted a systematic review of existing methodologies for measuring spontaneous pain in laboratory animals. This approach seeks greater precision in the results and standardization of techniques, facilitating replicability and comparison between preclinical studies, which could improve the extrapolation of results to clinical trials in humans.
"This study has the potential to significantly reduce the high failure rate in drug development for neuropathic pain.”, says Miguel Á. Huerta, principal investigator of the study, who emphasizes that the proposed methods offer a promising way to identify more effective analgesics, with lower probability of failure in advanced stages of research. In addition, this advance opens the door to more personalized and effective treatments for patients with chronic neuropathic pain, thus improving their therapeutic options and their quality of life.
El grupo MP09-Neuropharmacology of Pain The ibs.GRANADA group focuses its research on the identification of new pharmacological targets to improve pain treatment, as well as developing experimental models with a high translational value. Its focus includes the exploration of the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the perception and modulation of pain, with the aim of implementing innovative evaluation methods and therapeutic strategies in clinical settings. Its lines of research include the study of G protein-coupled receptors and Sigma-1 receptors in pain modulation, as well as research in animal models on the anti-obesity effects of melatonin in conditions of obesity and diabetes. This group is also part of the CA23156 network – European Network for Sigma-1 Receptor as a Therapeutic Opportunity (SIGMA-1EUROPE), expanding its impact internationally in the search for therapeutic solutions based on the Sigma-1 receptor.
More information about the group: https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/mp09-neurofarmacologia-del-dolor/
Bibliographic reference: Huerta MÁ, Cisneros E, Alique M, Roza C. Strategies for measuring non-evoked pain in preclinical models of neuropathic pain: Systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2024;163:105761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105761
Image: Miguel A. Huerta and Carolina Roza, principal investigators of the study
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