Newsletter Autumn Winter 2023 Final (24) - Flipbook - Page 7
This
Year's John Miles PhD Studentship Goes to
Anjana Pattila
Targeting ion channels to combat pathophysiology
of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Of the many different types of clinical pain, pain caused by the medicine taken to combat
an existing disease is particularly devastating; it typically worsens the existing condition and
leads to poorer clinical outcomes. A prevalent example is pain caused by the strong drugs
used to treat cancer. In particular, many common anti-cancer drugs can cause nerve
damage, often felt as tingling, numbness or burning-shooting pain. Due to such serious
symptoms, it is often necessary to reduce or even stop drug treatment. Additionally,
amongst the analgesic drugs currently used, there is no preventative or treatment for the
nerve damage pain caused by anti-cancer drugs.
Nerve cells, including those that signal pain, can talk to each other via proteins on the cell
surface called 8ion channels9. This study focuses on ion channels that regulate the flow of
calcium into nerve cells; in particular, the 8T-type9 calcium channel. Calcium channel
function is further controlled by other proteins called auxiliary subunits. One of these auxiliary
subunits is the target for 8gabapentinoid9 pain drugs. We have recently identified a new
protein, called CACHD1, that has similar properties to the subunit targeted by gabapentinoid
drugs. This protein is found in high levels in pain pathways.Thus, we have proposed a
potential new drug target.
We will investigate if T-type calcium channels and the CACHD1 protein represent new drug
targets to prevent pain caused by anti-cancer drugs. We will use a preclinical model to
study these effects and determine if there are any differences between male and female
model. We will also study the biological processes that may lead to pain associated with
anti-cancer drugs. It is hoped that this fundamental research will eventually lead to muchneeded new treatments for pain caused by anti-cancer drugs.
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