Nociceptive Screen

Coordinator:		Prof. Dr. Andreas Zimmer
Institution:		Helmholtz Zentrum München
Homepage:		www.mouseclinic.de/research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health problems, particularly in the elderly. In order to improve pain therapies and to develop novel analgesic medications, it is essential to obtain a better understanding of the still poorly understood pathomechanisms that contribute to chronic pain states. Genetic mouse models with interesting nociceptive phenotypes that we identify in the German Mouse Clinic can make an important contribution towards this goal. We have established a two-step procedure for the identification and characterization of such mouse lines. We are first screening mutant mouse strains in the German Mouse Clinic for altered pain thresholds using the sensitive hotplate assay. Mutants showing significantly enhanced or reduced pain responses are then further evaluated in more detailed assays in the Institute of the PI at the University of Bonn. In these test different pain modalities are evaluated, as well as inflammation-induced hyperalgesia and allodynia, and neuropathic pain.



     The Somatosensory System: Interphase between body and environment.