Uncovering Molecular Targets in Dorsal Horn Circuits with Translational Pain Models

Session Title: Uncovering Molecular Targets in Dorsal Horn Circuits with Translational Pain Models

Topic: BASIC SCIENCE

Description of Workshop: Better treatments for pain are urgently needed, yet the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic targets remain poorly understood across critical variables such as sex and species. Furthermore, preclinical models that accurately reflect common human pain conditions are limited, creating a translational gap that hinders therapeutic development.

This session will address these challenges by showcasing how fundamental molecular, cellular, and behavioral research in novel rodent and human translational models is uncovering mechanisms that drive dorsal horn dysfunction and pain hypersensitivity. The session highlights four complementary talks:

1. UDP-Sugar Signaling Drives Dorsal Horn Dysfunction and Pain Hypersensitivity in Neuropathic Pain Models. Dr. Daniela Salvemini will demonstrate how purinergic signaling contributes to spinal nociceptive circuit alterations.

2. Targeting Descending Serotonergic Pathways to Reverse Dorsal Horn Dysfunction and Alleviate Pain. Dr. Pascal Fossat will illustrate how modulation of descending inhibitory and excitatory pathways can restore circuit balance and reduce pain in preclinical models.

3. Dorsal Horn Circuit dysregulation in rodent models of neurodevelopmental conditions. Dr. Torsney will discuss how they are employing electrophysiological and behavioral tools to map somatosensory function in both sexes.

4. Sexually Dimorphic NMDA Receptor Dysregulation in Dorsal Horn Circuits in Rodent and Human Pain Models. Dr. Michael Hildebrand will highlight sex-specific neuronal mechanisms conserved across species, underscoring the importance of including sex as a biological variable in pain research.

The combined expertise of the speakers, together with the use of innovative rodent and human tissue models, exemplifies a rigorous, multidisciplinary approach to studying spinal pain circuits. By integrating molecular, cellular, electrophysiological, and behavioral perspectives, this session provides a framework for identifying novel targets and mechanisms relevant to human pain conditions. Collectively, these presentations emphasize that fundamental mechanistic studies, when performed in sex-inclusive and translationally relevant models, can directly inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Attendees will gain insight into how molecular and circuit-level understanding of dorsal horn function can guide the discovery of new, effective, and precise pain treatments for diverse patient populations.

The proposed session embodies IASP’s core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation across sex, geography, and career stage. Our panel achieves a balanced representation of sexes (two women, two men), spans multiple geographic regions (Canada, USA, France, United Kingdom), and includes both early-career and senior investigators. This intentional design ensures that participants benefit from a breadth of perspectives and experiences, fostering dynamic discussion and inclusive engagement with the audience.

Speakers