Epigenetic and Genetic Regulation of Pain: Mechanisms, Comorbidities, and Translational Aspects

Session Title: Epigenetic and Genetic Regulation of Pain: Mechanisms, Comorbidities, and Translational Aspects

Topic: BASIC SCIENCE

Description of Workshop: Epigenetic and genetic regulation are increasingly recognised as central to pain processing, yet their interplay remains underexplored in the context of chronic and neuropathic pain. However, previous IASP workshops have focused mainly on neuron-centred mechanisms in reductionist models. While this has been essential to establish a foundation, it leaves a critical gap: pain does not occur in isolation, and the regulatory changes that sustain it often extend beyond neurons, involving non-neuronal cells, complex comorbidities, and disease contexts where genetic and epigenetic mechanisms act together.
This workshop proposes to address that gap directly by exploring epigenetic and genetic regulation of pain in a broader, more integrated framework. The central novelty lies in situating these molecular processes in the context of pain modalities, comorbidities, and translational opportunities. By incorporating insights from modality-specific hyperalgesia, cancer-associated pain, psychiatric comorbidities, and rare neurodevelopmental syndromes, the workshop will showcase how both epigenetic regulation and genetic changes triggered by pathology shape nociceptive processing in ways that are mechanistically distinct but conceptually connected.
The session will begin with Istvan Nagy (Imperial College London, UK), who will present how genetic and epigenetic mechanisms contribute to heat hyperalgesia and pain progression. His work shows that different pain modalities depend on distinct regulatory pathways in specific cell lines, highlighting opportunities for more precise therapeutic strategies.
Next, Minoru Narita (Hoshi University, Japan) will discuss focus on cancer-related changes driving the sensory neuron–tumour interactions. Specifically, this talk will focus on how pain itself could be modifying the tumour microenvironment. This presentation will provide mechanistic insight and identify translational opportunities in oncology, where severe pain often remains difficult to treat.
The third talk will be given by Venetia Zachariou (Boston University, USA), who will examine signal transduction and epigenetic pathways associated with prolonged nerve injury states and the maintenance of sensory hypersensitivity. She will also discuss mouse models of pain comorbidities, with emphasis on opioid use disorders. Her contribution will clarify shared and distinct regulatory mechanisms across pain and psychiatric disorders, reflecting the complexity commonly seen in the clinic.
Finally, Jose Vicente Torres-Pérez (University of Valencia, Spain) will address rare neurodevelopmental syndromes with known epigenetic dysregulation, such as Rett syndrome. These disorders, characterised by well-defined molecular alterations, provide powerful models for dissecting nociceptive processing and suggest new therapeutic avenues for conditions that remain poorly understood and under-treated.
This session will highlight translational opportunities, from modality-specific and cancer-pain interactions to its overlaps with psychiatric and rare conditions, demonstrating how this knowledge can inform new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The talks will emphasise mechanistic insights, showing not just that regulatory changes occur but how they drive specific pain modalities and conditions.
The format will consist of four presentations (15-20 minutes each) followed by an extended panel discussion, encouraging dialogue within different disciplines and interaction with the audience. Importantly, the workshop aligns with the 2026 Global Year on Neuropathic Pain. Many of the processes discussed (e.g., persistent hyperalgesia, cancer-induced pain sensitisation, psychiatric comorbidities, and neurodevelopmental syndromes) display neuropathic components or mechanistic overlaps with neuropathic pain.

Speakers