U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain
Overview
The Research Need
Pain is a major factor in many acute and chronic conditions, but only a small number of new therapeutics for pain advance from early stage (Phase 1) clinical trials to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is an urgent need for innovative approaches to find and validate new biological targets for treating pain, as well as for new animal models to test the effectiveness of new medications on these targets.
About the Program
This program aims to identify new, non-addictive biological targets in the peripheral and central nervous systems, as well as in the immune system and other body organs and tissues involved in detecting and transmitting pain signals. The research also explores understudied genes and proteins (the “druggable” genome and proteome) associated with pain, pain perception, and opioid use disorder that might serve as markers or targets for treatment.
To validate targets, this research employs knockout animals or human tissue and supports independent replication of results. The program identifies and validates small molecules and biologics (such as antibodies and cell-based therapies) that could lead to translational research to develop pain therapeutics. The program also develops, characterizes, and validates animal models of pain and develops reliable pain outcome measures. That includes both rodents and animals that are more similar to humans in size, anatomy, and physiology.
PRECISION Human Pain Network
Within this program, the Program to Reveal and Evaluate Cells-to-Gene Information that Specify Intricacies, Origins, and the Nature of Human Pain (PRECISION Human Pain) network focuses on research efforts to identify and describe mechanisms underlying pain experiences in humans rather than animal models. The PRECISION network coordinates, curates, harmonizes, and integrates comprehensive datasets generated from this research. The network’s human-focused research capitalizes on recent technological advances to study human tissues and cells involved in pain processing. A key goal is to identify molecular signatures, cell types, and cellular function signatures that underlie human pain pathways. These activities will enable future translational research and the development of non-addictive pain therapies for human pain conditions.
Upcoming Events
HEAL Pain Partnering Meeting - October 4 – 5, 2023
Program Details
To date, through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, NIH has funded 47 awards for this program, totaling $90.3 million.