01947-A: Relief for Chronic Nerve Pain: A One Medicine Approach
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
Nerve pain is a debilitating condition common in older dogs of all breeds that impacts quality of life for both the dog and their companions. It is caused by nervous system damage from several sources including cancer, metabolic disease, neurodegeneration, and severe trauma. Nerve pain conditions are poorly treated by available therapies, often requiring the use of multiple drugs simultaneously. Therefore, significant drug side effects often contribute negatively to this condition. Research spanning 20 years into the mechanisms of neuropathic pain has defined a new therapeutic target: glial cell activation. Glial cells surround nerve cells throughout the central nervous system, interacting with the nerve cells and responding to their signaling. In nerve pain, glial cells become activated, causing them to release substances that amplify pain. Studies in rodent models have demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) can eliminate neuropathic pain by reversing glial activation. In this proposal, Xalud Therapeutics, Inc. will develop a canine-specific therapeutic agent designed to relieve nerve pain in afflicted companion dogs. This canine-specific drug will be based on their current model therapeutic, XT-101, which has significantly reduced pain for up to 12 weeks after a single injection in rodent models. Development of this canine-specific therapeutic agent will move directly into veterinary clinical trials and one step closer to addressing chronic nerve pain in humans.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
Help Future Generations of Dogs
Participate in canine health research by providing samples or by enrolling in a clinical trial. Samples are needed from healthy dogs and dogs affected by specific diseases.