PROJECT: JTC 2025 - Pain: MiNE

MiNE will unravel the shared pathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic pain in endometriosis and migraine, with the goal of identifying new targets for innovative treatment. Both diseases cause debilitating pain that significantly impacts the well-being of ~20% of women. Emerging evidence suggests the presence of common underlying mechanisms involving hormonally regulated neuron-myeloid cell crosstalk; the therapeutic potential of this is unknown. MiNE aims to change this - leveraging our team's interdisciplinary clinical and pre-clinical expertise in neuroscience, neuro-immunology, genetics and physiology. We will use bioinformatics, animal and human in vitro models (stem cell & post-mortem) to investigate: 1) the synergistic effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide and hormone stimulation on myeloid cells. 2) the susceptibility of sensory neurons to myeloid cells thus sensitized. 3) how to interfere with this hormonally mediated crosstalk to revert sensory neuron excitability and pain behaviours. Our outcomes will feed into clinical trial development, identifying novel analgesics, including those suitable for repositioning or synergistic use with existing treatments.