Mechanisms of musculoskeletal pain

Disease - Osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia

Lead applicant - Professor John Wood FRS

Organisation - University College London

Type of grant - Invited Research Award

Status of grant - Active

Amount of the original award - £799,684.61

Start date - 1 January 2019

Reference - 21950

Public Summary

What are the aims of this research?

Development of painkillers for musculoskeletal conditions, like fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis, has been limited. One of the reasons for this is because researchers do not fully understand the mechanisms which cause pain in these conditions. The aim of this research is to identify nerves and mechanisms in mice, which are responsible for causing pain.

Why is this research important?

This research could lead to new understanding of how pain is caused in osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. This could allow for future research and development into possible targets for painkillers, as well as development of the painkillers themselves.

The study will use mice with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia to identify the nerves key to causing the pain, find molecules which are released in response to pain, and ultimately create a list of molecules that might make good targets for painkillers.

How will the findings benefit the patient?

This study will aim to identify the nerves and processes responsible for causing specific types of pain in osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia-like conditions, along with possible drug targets. These findings could be used by future studies to investigate drugs, which might be suitable to treat the pain.