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H2020Doctoral network2018–2022

TOBeATPAIN · Targeting neuroinflammation to combat pathological pain in neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain syndromes

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-08-01 → 2022-07-31
EU contribution
€2,870,359
Participants
8
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Targeting neuroinflammation to combat pathological pain in neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain syndromes

Chronic pain in musculoskeletal and neuropathic conditions remains a clinical issue as currently available painkillers are partially effective in some patients. In addition, with the increase of the ageing population, the management of pain is a significant public health concern. TOBeATPAIN ITN has addressed the need for novel and more effective treatments for chronic pain by defining neuroinflammatory mechanisms that regulate pain signalling in 1) neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease 2) musculoskeletal diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and 3) painful peripheral neuropathies like in Fabry disease and polyneuropathies. TOBeATPAIN approach has challenged the neuro-centric view that has dominated the pain research area and exploited the opportunity to control mechanisms of neuroinflammation as an innovative therapeutic avenue. With a focus on non-neuronal cells, the 11 Early Scientists Researchers (ESRs) have delineated novel pathways involved in neuron-immune communication and identified non-neuronal targets that offer opportunities for the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The exploitation of our data will eventually lead to improvement of the quality of life of Europeans and impact positively on the health economy of EU countries.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Damage to the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems causes altered perception of pain (pathological pain) which is a common feature of diseases that have high prevalence in the European Union. Both increases and decreases in the ability to perceive pain impair both performance at work and quality of life. Pathological pain in neurodegenerative diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and peripheral neuropathies is associated with neuroinflammation, the inflammatory process whereby non-neuronal (inflammatory and glia) cells interact with neurones by releasing molecules that modulate pain signalling. TOBeATPAIN suggest that neuroinflammation represents an underlying mechanism of pathological pain states encompassing those with a PNS or CNS origin. The focus of this ITN will be on the mechanisms by which non-neuronal cells impact on neuronal activity in order to identify innovative non-neuronal targets for the treatment of pathological pain in peripheral macrophages or CNS microglia/astrocytes. TOBeATPAIN delivers high-level scientific and innovation-oriented complementary training, forging career pathways to increase inter-sectorial and transnational employability of young entrepreneurially-minded scientists in the academic and industrial sectors. It combines the expertise of 5 leading academic institutions, 2 pharmaceutical companies and 1 SME as Beneficiaries, together with 2 SMEs and 1 non-profit research charity as Partner Organisations, from 4 European countries. Fully aligned with the ‘Knowledge Triangle’ (business, research, higher education) platform, eleven ESRs will gain valuable knowledge and multidisciplinary skills through interdisciplinary research projects that integrate state-of-the-art technologies, supervision by and secondments to industrial Network organisations, Network-wide and local training activities, and specialized transferable skills focused in the acquisition of the ‘3-Knowledges’ (K-creation, K-exploitation, K-communication).

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • KING'S COLLEGE LONDON · LondonCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
  • BIONORICA RESEARCH GMBH · InnsbruckAustria
  • ELI LILLY AND COMPANY LTD · BASINGSTOKEUnited Kingdom
  • KANCERA AB · SolnaSweden
  • KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET · STOCKHOLMSweden
  • MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAT INNSBRUCK · InnsbruckAustria
  • UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM WUERZBURG - KLINIKUM DER BAYERISCHEN JULIUS-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAT · WURZBURGGermany
  • UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM JENA · JenaGermany

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union