Neurosteroids and Pain

Neuropathic pain is a challenging condition with urgent need for novel analgesics with minimal side effects. Neurosteroids modulate neuronal excitability by interacting with ligand-gated ion channels and other cell surface receptors, without engaging classical steroid hormone receptors. Our project targets analgesic potential of a novel class of synthetic neurosteroids that act as positive allosteric modulators of opioid and GABAergic receptors. We evaluate these new molecules in vitro and in vivo in different models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Eva Kudova PhD at Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, where all the novel molecules are synthetized.