RESEARCH
Our laboratory focuses on the mechanisms underlying the development of persistent chronic pain using optogenetics, chemogenetics, in vivo imaging, gene targeting, electrophysiological, pharmacological and behavioral approaches in wild type and genetically modified mice.
Our research interests include:
1. To delineate the role of anterior nucleus of paraventricular thalamus (PVA) in chronic pain. Our studies show that PVA is involved in the development and maintenance of chronic in several rodent models. We are examining the circuits through which PVA involves in chronic pain.
2. To understand the formation of hyperalgesia priming. Chronic pain can be initiated by one or more acute tissue insults to sensitize the neurons into the primed state; however, the mechanism underlying the priming effect is unclear. We are investigating the role of neurons and non-neuronal cells in hyperalgesia priming using acid-induced muscle pain (AIMP) model.
3. To investigate whether aging accelerates the development or duration of chronic pain.
研究介紹
我們的實驗室使用光遺傳學、化學遺傳學、體內成像、基因編輯、電生理學、藥理學和行為學方法在野生型和轉殖基因小鼠中研究持續性慢性疼痛發展的潛在機制。
我們的研究興趣包括
1. 探討前室丘腦旁核 (PVA) 在慢性疼痛中的作用。我們的研究表明，PVA 參與了幾種囓齒動物模型慢性病的發展和維持。我們正在研究 PVA 如何參與慢性疼痛的神經迴路。
2. 解痛覺過敏啟動的形成。慢性疼痛可由一種或多種急性組織損傷引起，使神經元進入過敏狀態；然而，引發痛覺過敏的機制尚不清楚。我們使用酸誘導的肌肉疼痛 (AIMP) 模型，研究神經元和非神經元細胞在痛覺過敏引發中的角色。
3. 研究衰老是否會加速慢性疼痛的發展或持續時間。
