Project Title: A new approach to chronic pain therapy – the molecular mechanism of exocytosis from sensory neurons

Project supervisors: Project supervisors: Dr Elizabeth Seward (BMS and CMIAD). Project collaborators: Professor Bazbek Davletov BMS and CMIAD) and Dr Mohammed Nassar (BMS)

Application deadline: Friday 14 December 2012.

Chronic pain conditions have reached epidemic proportions and are notoriously difficult to treat due to their complex etiology (1). In order to develop better drugs we have to understand the molecular mechanisms of chronic pain.
Sensory neurons secrete neurotransmitters at both synapses and cell bodies. Exocytosis at cell bodies or somatic exocytosis, is increased in chronic pain and causes spontaneous nerve activity which is a hallmark of chronic pain (2). Whereas the mechanisms that control synaptic release are well understood (3), the molecular machinery of somatic exocytosis has yet to be identified.
In this project we will use a powerful combination of electrophysiology, molecular biology and high-resolution microscopy techniques to unravel the exocytotic machinery regulating somatic secretion and to identify new drug targets for chronic pain therapy.

This project is in collaboration with Prof Davletov (drug development) and Dr Nassar (mechanistic pain) at the University of Sheffield.

The project is available from Spring or Autumn 2013. It is open to UK and EU students. International students may also apply but higher fees have to be covered by additional funds or a fee waiver (competitively awarded).

References:

1. (1) von Hehn et al., 2012, Neuron 73
2. (2) Amir R and Devor M, 1996, J Neurosci 16
3. (3) Jahn R, Fasshauer D, 2012, Nature 490

Contact details:

Dr Elizabeth Seward

Email: E.P.Seward@sheffield.ac.uk

Web: http://www.shef.ac.uk/bms/research/seward