# RNA-Protein Interactions in Nociception

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND · 2024 · $338,477

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Persistent and chronic pain are facilitated by plasticity of sensory afferents. Recent advances demonstrate this
plasticity is initiated and maintained by de novo translation of pro-nociceptive genes. In animal models,
pharmacological and genetic perturbations of protein translation have shown therapeutic efficacy. Therefore,
discovery of proteins that selectively regulate pro-nociceptive mRNA translation in sensory neurons would
provide opportunities for the development of novel targeted therapeutics. mRNA translation is regulated by
RNA-Binding proteins (RBPs). Our analyses of single cell RNA-Seq data confirmed by histological
assessments revealed the presence of a RBP restricted to subpopulations of dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
nociceptive neurons. Previous studies indicate that this RBP binds to and inhibits translation of mRNA
transcripts associated with neuronal excitability. Our computational analyses predicted that this nociceptor-
restricted RBP would suppress a constellation of ion channels, neuropeptides and other “pain genes”, thereby
forming a putative anti-nociceptive regulon. This proposal will test the hypothesis that this identified RBP
tonically suppresses nociceptive transmission by binding to and inhibiting translation of pro-nociceptive
mRNAs. This proposal will determine if enhancing the function of this RBP is a viable strategy to develop
interventions that normalize pain thresholds and reverse chronic pain. In doing so these investigations will
demonstrate a novel anti-nociceptive regulon that scales the threshold for pain perception and validate use of a
tool to discover factors responsible for the transition

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10812505
- **Project number:** 5R01NS121533-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
- **Principal Investigator:** Benjamin Harrison
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $338,477
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10812505

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10812505, RNA-Protein Interactions in Nociception (5R01NS121533-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10812505. Licensed CC0.

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