TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges and opportunities in translational pain research – An opinion paper of the working group on translational pain research of the European pain federation (EFIC)
AU - Mouraux, André
AU - Bannister, Kirsty
AU - Becker, Susanne
AU - Finn, David P.
AU - Pickering, Gisèle
AU - Pogatzki-Zahn, Esther
AU - Graven-Nielsen, Thomas
N1 - Funding Information:
TGN is a part of Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) supported by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF121). EPZ received in the past 5 years financial support from Mundipharma GmbH and Grüenenthal for research activities (to her institution) and advisory and lecture fees from Grüenenthal, MSD Sharp & DOHME GmbH, Mundipharma GmbH, Mundipharma International, Janssen‐Cilag GmbH; TAD pharma, Fresenius Kabi and AcelRx. Currently, EPZ receives scientific support from the DFG (PO1319/3‐1, PO1319/4‐1 and PO1319/5‐1), the BMBF and the EU/Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (777,500, includes EFPIA).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. European Journal of Pain published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Pain Federation - EFIC ®.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - For decades, basic research on the underlying mechanisms of nociception has held promise to translate into efficacious treatments for patients with pain. Despite great improvement in the understanding of pain physiology and pathophysiology, translation to novel, effective treatments for acute and chronic pain has however been limited, and they remain an unmet medical need. In this opinion paper bringing together pain researchers from very different disciplines, the opportunities and challenges of translational pain research are discussed. The many factors that may prevent the successful translation of bench observations into useful and effective clinical applications are reviewed, including interspecies differences, limited validity of currently available preclinical disease models of pain, and limitations of currently used methods to assess nociception and pain in non-human and human models of pain. Many paths are explored to address these issues, including the backward translation of observations made in patients and human volunteers into new disease models that are more clinically relevant, improved generalization by taking into account age and sex differences, and the integration of psychobiology into translational pain research. Finally, it is argued that preclinical and clinical stages of developing new treatments for pain can be improved by better preclinical models of pathological pain conditions alongside revised methods to assess treatment-induced effects on nociception in human and non-human animals. Significance:. For decades, basic research of the underlying mechanisms of nociception has held promise to translate into efficacious treatments for patients with pain. Despite great improvement in the understanding of pain physiology and pathophysiology, translation to novel, effective treatments for acute and chronic pain has however been limited, and they remain an unmet medical need.
AB - For decades, basic research on the underlying mechanisms of nociception has held promise to translate into efficacious treatments for patients with pain. Despite great improvement in the understanding of pain physiology and pathophysiology, translation to novel, effective treatments for acute and chronic pain has however been limited, and they remain an unmet medical need. In this opinion paper bringing together pain researchers from very different disciplines, the opportunities and challenges of translational pain research are discussed. The many factors that may prevent the successful translation of bench observations into useful and effective clinical applications are reviewed, including interspecies differences, limited validity of currently available preclinical disease models of pain, and limitations of currently used methods to assess nociception and pain in non-human and human models of pain. Many paths are explored to address these issues, including the backward translation of observations made in patients and human volunteers into new disease models that are more clinically relevant, improved generalization by taking into account age and sex differences, and the integration of psychobiology into translational pain research. Finally, it is argued that preclinical and clinical stages of developing new treatments for pain can be improved by better preclinical models of pathological pain conditions alongside revised methods to assess treatment-induced effects on nociception in human and non-human animals. Significance:. For decades, basic research of the underlying mechanisms of nociception has held promise to translate into efficacious treatments for patients with pain. Despite great improvement in the understanding of pain physiology and pathophysiology, translation to novel, effective treatments for acute and chronic pain has however been limited, and they remain an unmet medical need.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101616973&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ejp.1730
DO - 10.1002/ejp.1730
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85101616973
SN - 1090-3801
VL - 25
SP - 731
EP - 756
JO - European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
JF - European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
IS - 4
ER -
