PAINSTORM: Imperial College London Phenotyping
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Partnership for Assessment and Investigation of Neuropathic pain: Studies Tracking Outcomes, Risks and Mechanisms (PAINSTORM). Imperial College London Phenotyping
IRAS ID
302960
Contact name
Andrew Rice
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Neuropathic pain (NeuP) affects 8% of the population and is caused by damage to the sensory nervous system (through conditions such as diabetes, chemotherapy and HIV), and is increasingly common with an ageing population and increasing survival in cancer and HIV. NeuP has a major negative impact on quality of life, and current management options are inadequate and often poorly tolerated. It’s also poorly understood why some people are severely affected by NeuP whilst others with a similar pattern of nerve damage are not.
In order to better treat NeuP we need to understand the mechanisms driving it. PAINSTORM aims to use a broad range of approaches cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries, to uncover the causes of NeuP and understand how they interact. Our focus will be on studying people at risk of NeuP and following their progress over time, including identifying personal characteristics, environmental/societal, genetic and clinical factors which determine NeuP risk or protection.
Tissue samples and patient-derived cells will be used to validate molecular pathways contributing to chronic NeuP and help develop blood biomarkers, and stored via a Tissue bank to aid collaboration. We will optimise measures to assess NeuP, including sensory profiling, application of remote monitoring and assessment of psychosocial factors to understand the impact of pain on daily activities (from self-care to work) and important conditions that are often associated with chronic pain such as depression, anxiety and poor sleep.
We will use innovative technologies, including neuroimaging, to directly assess the factors that drive NeuP. We will integrate this multi-dimensional dataset to understand the interaction between risk and protective factors. This will also allow us to develop biomarkers to aid future clinical care and drug trials. We aim to improve targeting of existing therapies, as well as identifying and prioritising novel treatment targets.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0264
Date of REC Opinion
20 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion