Project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) under the “SONATA 18” competition
Project number: 2022/47/D/NZ4/02676
Project value: 3,490,308.00 PLN
Funding amount: 3,490,308.00 PLN
Project duration: 11/12/2023 – 10/12/2026
Project manager: Mateusz Kucharczyk, PhD
Project implemented in consortium:
Łukasiewicz Research Network – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development
The goal of this project is to explore innovative mechanisms for pain suppression while minimizing side effects.
In this study, we aim to analyze noradrenergic inhibitory pathways that modulate pain through their direct action on the synaptic terminals of peripheral nerve fibers within the spinal cord. This means that the brain can directly influence the peripheral nervous system through a molecular messenger — noradrenaline.
We will investigate how noradrenaline originating from different brain regions affects neurotransmission from the peripheral nervous system to the spinal projection neurons. It is known that nerves possess only one of the nine noradrenaline receptors — Adra2c. In this project, we will selectively delete this receptor exclusively in peripheral nerve fibers and assess the resulting impact on pain signal transmission.
We will monitor the effects of selective modulation of the activity of specific noradrenergic centers (using optogenetics) through advanced physiological tools such as in vivo calcium imaging, electrophysiological analysis, and computer-based behavioral assessments, conducted before and after receptor deletion.
Ultimately, we hope to identify all individual neural pathways through which the brain regulates activity in the first “relay station” of the spinal cord. Achieving this level of understanding will pave the way for the development of a new class of pain-relieving drugs with highly selective mechanisms of action.
