Neuropathic Pain Research

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition associated with different pathologies including chronic spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and peripheral nerve injury. Despite advances, the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain are not well understood and currently available pharmacotherapies do not adequately alleviate neuropathic pain and have serious adverse effects. The goal of neuropathic pain research in the department is to discover novel targets and to develop new approaches for the effective alleviation of pain.

Ongoing research projects:

• Molecular mechanisms of neuropathic pain in the dorsal horn in animal models of spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis: role of neuronal calcium pumps.
• AAV-based gene replacement therapy for the treatment of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and peripheral nerve injury.
• Modulation of below injury level neuropathic pain mechanisms by toll-like receptor ligands following spinal cord injury.

Stella Elkabes, Ph.D.

Professor & Co-Director of Reynolds Family Spine Laboratory

Department of Neurosurgery