Development of a novel in vitro assay to screen for neuroprotective drugs against iatrogenic neurite shortening

In vitro models for neuropathic pain phenotypic screening in brain therapeutics

The discovery of brain therapeutics faces a significant challenge due to the low translatability of preclinical results into clinical success. To address this gap, several efforts have been made to obtain more translatable neuronal models for phenotypic screening. These models allow the selection of active compounds without predetermined knowledge of drug targets. In this review, we present an overview of various existing models within the field, examining their strengths and limitations, particularly in the context of neuropathic pain research. We illustrate the usefulness of these models through a comparative review in three crucial areas: i) the development of novel phenotypic screening strategies specifically for neuropathic pain, ii) the validation of the models for both primary and secondary screening assays, and iii) the use of the models in target deconvolution processes.

The Roles of Imaging Biomarkers in the Management of Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) affects around 10% of the general population and has a significant social, emotional, and economic impact. Current diagnosis techniques rely mainly on patient-reported outcomes and symptoms, which leads to significant diagnostic heterogeneity and subsequent challenges in management and assessment of outcomes. As such, it is necessary to review the approach to a pathology that occurs so frequently, with such burdensome and complex implications. Recent research has shown that imaging methods can detect subtle neuroplastic changes in the central and peripheral nervous system, which can be correlated with neuropathic symptoms and may serve as potential markers. The aim of this paper is to review available imaging methods used for diagnosing and assessing therapeutic efficacy in CNP for both the preclinical and clinical setting. Of course, further research is required to standardize and improve detection accuracy, but available data indicate that imaging is a valuable tool that can impact the management of CNP.

Identification of Novel Regulators of Zalcitabine-Induced Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is one of the foremost adverse effects that worsens quality of life for patients undergoing an antiretroviral treatment. Currently, there are no effective analgesics for relieving it; thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel treatments for neuropathic pain. Previously, we described and validated F11 cells as a model of DRG (dorsal root ganglia) neurons. In the current work, we employed F11 cells to identify regulators of antiretroviral-induced neuropathic pain combining functional and transcriptomic analysis. The antiretroviral zalcitabine (ddC) increased the excitability of differentiated F11 cells associated with calcium signaling without morphological changes in the neuronal phenotype, mimicking the observed increase of painful signaling in patients suffering from antiretroviral-induced neuropathic pain. Employing RNA sequencing, we observed that zalcitabine treatment upregulated genes related with oxidative stress and calcium homeostasis. The functional impact of the transcriptomic changes was explored, finding that the exposure to zalcitabine significantly increased intracellular oxidative stress and reduced store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). Because the functional and transcriptomic evidence points toward fundamental changes in calcium signaling and oxidative stress upon zalcitabine exposure, we identified that NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase and the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 3 were involved in zalcitabine-induced hyperexcitability of F11 cells. Overexpression of those genes increases the calcium-elicited hyperexcitability response and reduces SOCE, as well as increases intracellular ROS levels. These data do not only mimic the effects of zalcitabine but also highlight the relevance of oxidative stress and of calcium-mediated signaling in antiretroviral-induced hyperexcitability of sensory neurons, shedding light on new therapeutic targets for antiviral-induced neuropathic pain.