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Mechanisms and treatment of pain

The main research interest of our department is to study mechanisms of pain and to explore new possibilities of pain treatment, especially in chronic states. Our experimental work is concentrated on the modulation of nociceptive information at the spinal cord level that is the first relay center between the periphery and higher brain areas. Our goal is to study these modulatory mechanisms in order to improve therapy for pain conditions such as neuropathic and cancer related pain. This project will be focused on the role of neuroinflammation in modulation of synaptic transmission and chronic pain development. Lately we are interested in the role of TRPV1 receptors, cannabinoids, endogenous lipids, opioids and inflammatory cytokines in this process. In our research we use mainly electrophysiological, optogenetic, OMICS analysis,  functional imaging, immunohistochemical, molecular and behavioral methods. In collaboration with clinics we aim to study human pathology in pain patients.