TRPM3 regulation of chronic pain

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Chronic pain is a major problem for up to 19% of the people and with the increasing age of the population the number is likely to increase. Currently the medicines available either do not relieve the pain adequately in a large percentage of patients or have undesirable side effects such as drowsiness or stomach discomfort and ulcers. We have discovered that an ion channel protein expressed by sensory nerves and in other areas in the nervous system plays an important role in the development of persistent pain associated with either nerve injury or inflammation. This is relevant for many human painful conditions associated with arthritis, shingles, back problems and surgery. Using mice where we can selectively delete the protein from different parts of the nervous system we will find out if the important site of action is in the peripheral sensory nerves, the spinal cord or the brain. We will also find out if inhibiting the function of this protein can reverse chronic pain once it has developed which will be important property for any new medicine that could be developed from our research. We will also find out how this protein operates to control pain. This will be important for an understanding of how the protein fits in with the other processes that operate in the nervous system and will aid us in developing new treatment for pain.