Nanoparticle-Based Imaging and Therapy of Chronic Pain in the Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRG)

Chronic neuropathic pain, which results from nerve damage or a malfunctioning nervous system, affects 60 million people worldwide. As current pain killers are only partially effective, new therapies are desirable. The EU-funded PIANO project proposes that local targeted delivery to the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) can optimise pain management and allow monitoring changes of pain transmission under neuropathic pain conditions. PIANO focuses on pain mechanisms at the DRG which contain the cell bodies of specialised neurones that transmit noxious signalling from the periphery to the central nervous system, where pain is perceived. Researchers will identify the DRG involved in pain signalling by the aid of targeted nanoparticles to enable visualisation of pain and inflammation and the delivery of analgesic compounds.