Description du projet
Faire progresser la recherche et le traitement de la douleur neuropathique
La douleur neuropathique est un type de douleur chronique qui résulte d’une lésion ou d’un dysfonctionnement du système nerveux. Elle survient lorsque les nerfs eux-mêmes sont affectés par une blessure ou une maladie et implique une altération de la qualité de vie. Il est urgent de comprendre la sensibilité individuelle à la douleur et la réponse aux analgésiques afin d’améliorer la prise en charge de la douleur. Financé par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, le projet PAIN-Net entend relever ces défis en formant une nouvelle génération de scientifiques spécialisés dans le domaine des douleurs neuropathiques. Le projet soutiendra des projets de recherche innovants menés avec des entreprises de biotechnologie, s’appuyant sur des technologies de pointe pour étudier les mécanismes de la douleur neuropathique et concevoir des analgésiques ciblés.
Objectif
Neuropathic pain affects 5% of the general population and 40% of patients with neurological diseases, and has a key role in the pathophysiology of cancer pain that affects up to 50% of patients in the early disease stage and 30% of survivors, causing an enormous social burden. Treatments are inadequate with less than 50% of patients achieving 50% of pain relief at best, while up to 30% of cancer pain patients experience insufficient analgesia. Signatures of individual susceptibility to pain and analgesic responsiveness are urgently needed to improve patients’ management. Such advances are expected to originate from integrated clinical, basic science and entrepreneurial research readily translating scientific findings into benefits for patients. To consolidate these aims, a new generation of scientists with wide knowledge in neuropathic pain, focused research skills and experience in the interaction with biotechnology companies is needed. The PAIN-Net programme, based on a highly innovative platform of training-through-research and strongly committed to such objectives, will support such talented and inspired early stage researchers. Their research projects, embedded in an advanced molecule-to-man pain network, will contribute to better understanding individual susceptibility to pain and analgesics responsiveness based on next generation sequencing, whole exome sequencing, epigenetics and pharmacogenomics studies, nociceptor and sodium channel functioning based on biophysics and proteomics studies, targeted analgesics based on high-throughput screening, targeted analgesic delivery based on encapsulated cell bioreactor implants, and to the development and extensive characterisation of the first knock-in mouse models of sodium channel-related neuropathic pain based on the CRISP-Cas technology. Most of all, the PAIN-Net programme will offer the unique opportunity to enhance scientific capabilities and prepare to high level academic or private applied research career.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training NetworksCoordinateur
20133 Milano
Italie