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HSV vector-mediated modification of primary nociceptor afferents: an approach to inhibit chronic pain

Gene Therapy volume 16, pages 493–501 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Chronic pain is a serious medical condition with millions of sufferers for whom long-term therapies are either lacking or inadequate. Here we review the use of herpes simplex virus vectors as therapeutic tools to treat chronic pain by gene therapy. We describe an approach to inhibit chronic pain signaling whereby vector-mediated genes transferred to sensory nerves will modify the primary afferent nociceptor to prevent pain signaling to second-order nerves in the spinal cord. This approach may be used to reverse the chronic pain state of the nociceptor and could affect downstream pain-related changes in the central nervous system.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the substantial contributions of many collaborators in the work reviewed including David Fink, Marina Mata, Shuanglin Hao, Munmun Chattopadhyay, Zhigang Zhou and Xiangmin Peng (University of Michigan), Bill Goins, Paola Grandi, Justus Cohen, George Huang, Ali Ozuer, Mingdi Zhang, Rebecca Sullenberger, and Michael Cascio (University of Pittsburgh), Rahul Srinivasin (Cal Tech), April Craft (University of Toronto) and Darren Wolfe, James Wechuck and David Krisky (Diamyd Inc., Pittsburgh, PA). Work described in this review from our laboratories was supported by the following grants: JRG (NIH:DK07402604), MG (NIH:NS044992-02) and JCG (NIH:2PO1NS040923:RO1119298:U54AR050733;PO1DK044935: RO1 NS059003: PO1 CA06924).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    J R Goss & J C Glorioso

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    M S Gold

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  1. J R Goss
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  2. M S Gold
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Correspondence to J C Glorioso.

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Goss, J., Gold, M. & Glorioso, J. HSV vector-mediated modification of primary nociceptor afferents: an approach to inhibit chronic pain. Gene Ther 16, 493–501 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/gt.2009.24

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