Treating Oral Cancer Pain with LRP1 Agonists
Abstract
Oral cancer pain is frequently accompanied by other psychosocial comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep disorders. Unfortunately, existing treatments for chronic pain (i.e., opioids) are ineffective and associated with deleterious side effects, greatly worsening what is already the substantial burden of cancer. Our research program aims to elucidate the basic causes of chronic oral cancer pain, and to identify new treatments for chronic pain. We recently discovered a novel cell receptor system that has cell survival and anti-inflammatory properties. Activators of the receptor system reduced acute pain and prevented the development of chronic pain in our preclinical models. Our preliminary studies suggest that the mechanism of action includes regulating activities of specialized glia and inflammatory cells in the peripheral nerve and keeping pain transmitting neurons healthy. Herein, we will test whether our receptor activators function in combinate with specialized glia cells to antagonize inflammation and prevent oral cancer pain. Studies planning to test effects on pain behaviors and cellular and molecular mechanisms are underway. We also plan to identify novel populations of cells in tumor tissues that contribute to oral cancer pain. A consideration of great importance in this work is whether novel drugs that activate this receptor system can improve chronic pain such as oral cancer pain. This information is essential for the initiation of human clinical trials, and is consistent with our overarching research vision to understand the causes and develop effective treatments for chronic pain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1223413
Entities
People
- Gisella Campanelli
- Morgan Zhang
- Naijang Liu
- Yi Ye
Organizations
- New York University