# Development and validation of a porcine model of spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain

> **NIH NIH RF1** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $3,560,956

## Abstract

Project Summary/ Abstract
The goal of this project is to develop and validate a porcine model of spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic
pain (SCI-NP). Most previous research in SCI-NP has been conducted in rodent models which have
significantly advanced knowledge of mechanisms and drug discovery but have shortcomings which limit
accurate prediction of analgesic efficacy in human clinical populations. Thus, a model that is more similar to
humans in anatomy, size, metabolism, physiology, and pharmacokinetics/dynamics is needed to advance
development of new therapies. We hypothesize that a porcine model of SCI-NP will be a useful translational
intermediary as pigs are more similar to humans in all of these important attributes. The first aim of this
proposal is to develop, characterize, and validate a porcine evoked pain scale using back-translated
quantitative sensory testing (QST) methods to evaluate SCI-NP. We will use bioacoustics and pain
interruption behaviors along with withdrawal responses to evaluate both supraspinal and reflex pain-like
responses to evoked QST stimuli. We will evaluate the effects of SCI on neuropathic pain outcomes over time
after SCI. To assess spontaneous pain responses, in aim 2 we will develop an ethologically-based sensory
maze and evaluate bioacoustics, facial expression/ grimace, and maze performance behaviors. We will
validate the evoked and spontaneous pain outcomes by assessing effects of pain medications commonly
prescribed in the human clinical setting in this model and use histopathology to assess the recapitulation of this
model to the human pathological condition. For aim 3, we will develop protocols to use an automated system
for scoring the responses to both the evoked and spontaneous pain assays. We will also back-translate
common data elements (CDEs) used in human neuropathic pain studies to the porcine model to enhance data
sharing. The impact of this research will be the successful development of a clinically-relevant model of SCI-
NP that can be used to significantly advance translational research for novel treatments.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10805071
- **Project number:** 1RF1NS135504-01
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sandeep R Datta
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $3,560,956
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-21 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10805071

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10805071, Development and validation of a porcine model of spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain (1RF1NS135504-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10805071. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*