A new compound discovered by a team of UC Davis investigators has potent actions against production of a chemical which is implicated in the development of chronic pain following a peripheral nerve injury in the spinal cord. The compound, a molecule named 6-chloro-8-(glycinyl)-amino-β-carbolin, or 8-Gly carb, provides an important new avenue of research for developing drugs to prevent the severe pain that sometimes remains long after an injury or infection has healed. The findings are published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.“We have discovered a new compound that is more than 40 times more potent in inhibiting nitric oxide production than the currently used reference compound,” said Fredric Gorin, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Neurology and co-principal investigator for the study. “That makes 8-Gly carb a potentially very fruitful focus for new drug development against neuropathic pain syndromes.”Neuropathic pain is a disorder characterized by often severe pain that sometimes develops following nerve damage resulting from conditions such as shingles, nerve injury, amputation, autoimmune inflammation and cancer.
Months or even years after the initial trauma, the area can remain extremely painful, a condition believed to result from the brain misinterpreting nerve signals from the area. The pain can be completely spontaneous or triggered by something normally as innocuous as a light touch or temperature change. Traditional pain treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and even opioids such as morphine is usually ineffective.Neuropathic pain is thought to be initiated by the inflammatory response of immune cells called macrophages and microglia. The latter are a type of macrophage that resides in the spinal cord and provides an important defense against injury and infection. Following a trauma to a peripheral nerve, these inflammatory cell types release a host of chemicals, among them cytokines that are important for recovery, and nitric oxide, which is believed to be a key factor in initiating and sustaining inflammation associated with the establishment of neuropathic pain. Inhibiting the production of nitric oxide at the time of a nerve injury may be an important mechanism to prevent the later development of a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome, Gorin said.
The class of drug to which 8-Gly carb belongs is known as β-carbolines, a large group of natural and synthetic organic compounds, some of which are known to reduce nitric oxide production. Previously characterized β-carbolines block the cytokines tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin -1B, which are required for recovery. However, these experiments show that 8-Gly carb does not reduce levels of tumor necrosis factor α or IL-1B. The exact mechanism by which this new compound inhibits macrophage production of nitric oxide is not yet understood and will be a focus of future research, according to Gorin.“A compound like 8-Gly carb that selectively targets nitric oxide production and does not block cytokine expression could make it a promising prototype for drug development aimed at preventing a neuropathic pain syndrome without interfering with recovery,” Gorin said. “We look forward to extending this research by developing and testing this compound and related ones in the laboratory and eventually in clinical trials.”
This research has resulted from a fruitful collaboration between the UC Davis Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, as well as with the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Pamela Lein, professor and co-chair in the Department of Molecular Biosciences of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, is co-principal investigator of this study.Other authors include Ana Cristina Grodzki, Nagarekha Pasupuleti of UC Davis and Bhaskar Poola and Michael Nantz of the University of Louisville, Kentucky.The study was funded by the UC Davis MIND Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01-ES017592) and UC Davis Research Investments in the Sciences and Engineering (RISE) Program (R01-NS060880). The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care.
Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu. /watch?v=q67lhT2bVf4 Reversing Peripheral Neuropathy You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. New patients receive FREE CONSULTATION & EXAM. Sign-up using the form or call us at 303-858-8288 to take advantage of this exclusive offer. Thank you Castle Rock For voting us Douglas County's Best 3 out of the last 4 years! Helms Chiropractic and Wellness in Castle Rock CO 80104 is a family chiropractic center and has been voted best chiropractor and top chiropractor in Castle Rock. Helms Chiropractic and Wellness has offered quality chiropractic care since 1999. Dr. Helms has helped thousands of people improve there quality of life, and lead happier, healthy lives. At our chiropractic center in Castle Rock, we want to make you feel like family and provide the highest clinical quality care possible.
At our Castle Rock chiropractic office we specialize in chiropractic, herniated discs, ruptured discs, slipped disc, Osteoarthritis, neck pain,Sciatica, lower back pain, back spasms, Neuropathy treatment, headaches, and many other conditions. Helms Chiropractic and Wellness, Chiropractor near me, provides services to many people located in the chiropractor 80104, 80108, 80109 zip codes. As a Chiropractor in Castle Rock Dr. Helms has provided chiropractic care for 16 years and is a Colorado Native. Dr. Helms voted best Chiropractor is proud to call Castle Rock home and looks forward to serving in his community for many years to come. We strive to provide complete care for our patients. Learn more about all the services we provide. We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today! We offer a proven non-invasive, non-drug alternative for your neuropathic pain, no matter its' origin. Watch our patient testimonial videos. The UCLA Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship is an ACGME accredited fellowship program that provides subspecialty training in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with complex neuromuscular diseases.
The program includes organized clinical experience in various subspecialty neuromuscular clinics including electrodiagnostic laboratory. The training is provided through clinics at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the West LA and Sepulveda VA Medical Centers, and Olive ViewUCLA Medical Center. These clinics accommodate patients with a wide range of neuromuscular diagnoses including peripheral neuropathy, inherited and acquired myopathies, muscular dystrophies, myasthenia gravis and other neuromuscular junction disorders, and ALS. Fellows participate in a rigorous weekly educational program that includes two didactic lectures, neuroradiology rounds, a muscle/nerve pathology didactic, a muscle/nerve pathology slide review, and a case conference. The didactic curriculum covers topics pertinent to the practice of neuromuscular medicine including genetic testing and the principles of electrodiagnosis. Muscle and nerve biopsy surgery and histological interpretation are an integral part of the educational program.
The goal is to train fellows in all of the major diagnostic options in neuromuscular disease. Ongoing clinical and basic science research projects are available and may be further explored with additional training time. 1. Pediatric Muscular Dystrophy Clinic - This is a multidisciplinary clinic with attending staff from neurology, orthopedic surgery, cardiology, and pulmonology. Nutrition, social work, durable medical equipment, and physical therapists are also in clinic. This clinic meets twice a month at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center and is staffed by Dr. Perry Shieh. 2. General Muscular Dystrophy Clinic – There are two clinics. The clinic at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center and is staffed by Dr. Perry Shieh Another Muscular Dystrophy and meets on once a month with adults with pediatric muscle diseases as well as adult onset muscle diseases. Another clinic meets weekly at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center and is staffed by Dr. Shri Mishra. 2. Myasthenia Gravis Clinic – patients with Myasthenia gravis as managed in this weekly clinic that meets on Tuesday mornings and is staffed by Drs. Michael Graves and Perry Shieh at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center.
3. ALS clinic –Fellows participate in multidisciplinary ALS clinics at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center and Cedar Sinai Medical Center. These multidisciplinary clinics are dedicated to ongoing care of patients with the diagnosis of ALS. Fellows will be exposed to supportive treatments that are provided by Speech-Dysphagia Therapy, Occupational and Physical Therapy, and Respiratory Therapy. The Fellows will learn the diagnostic process in patients presenting early in course of disease, as well as symptomatic management for patients in all stages of the disease. 4. General Neuromuscular Clinic - Patient with neuromuscular disorders are evaluated with supervision by Dr. Perry Shieh at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, Richard Lewis at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and by Dr. Shri Mishra at the West LA VA, Sepulveda VA, and Olive-View-UCLA Medical Centers. 5. EMG laboratory – This clinic is designed to provide electrodiagnostic testing of patients with routine and unusual neuromuscular presentations.
These clinics are scheduled throughout the week with attending neurologists including Drs. Perry Shieh, Richard Lewis, Perrin Pleninger, Nicholas Parziale, Shri Mishra and Nastaran Rafiei. Advanced techniques, including single fiber EMG, laryngeal EMG, repetitive nerve stimulation, and cranial nerve testing are routinely scheduled in these clinics. 6. Educational Program -The rigorous educational program includes 5 hours of neuromuscular education on Monday morning (8AM to 1PM) and the one hour Clinical Neurophysiology Conference on Tuesdays at noon. The Neuromuscular Conferences include 1) case conference, 2) journal club, 3) neuroradiology rounds, 4) neuropathology slide review 5) nerve and muscle pathology didactic, and 6) the Neuromuscular Conference (didactic) series. Theory of electrodiagnostic testing is covered in the interdisciplinary Clinical Neurophysiology Conference series on Tuesdays at noon. 5. Neuromuscular Pathology – Dr. Perry Shieh along with Dr. Negar Khanlou from Neuropathology provide teaching on histological interpretation of muscle and nerve biopsies in organized reading sessions.
6. Surgical Nerve and Muscle Biopsy -Dr. Perry Shieh and Dr. Shri Mishra perform and teach the surgical technique in nerve and muscle biopsies. 7. Clinical Trials Research -We are active in several National and International ALS research groups and projects. UCLA also participates in clinical trials in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. 8. Basic Research in ALS -Dr. Martina Wiedau-Pazos has several projects ranging from the study of mouse models with motor neuron disease to genetic linkage studies with established tissue banks. 9. Basic Research in Muscle Disease: We are affiliated with the UCLA Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, where a large number of basic research projects take place. Application consists of 1) Personal Statement, 2) CV, 3) 3 letters of recommendation. Please send applications to: Perry Shieh, M.D., Ph.D. 300 Medical Plaza, Suite B-200 Los Angeles, CA 90095 (310) 825-2937, FAX (310) 794-0087, pshieh@mednet.ucla.edu