Cellular and Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Biotechnology Branch
Division of Basic and Translational Sciences
OBJECTIVE
We are seeking Concept Clearance for a Request for Applications (RFA). The purpose of this RFA is to encourage state-of-the-art genomic and proteomic approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and protein networks involved in orofacial pain disorders of inflammatory (e.g., post-surgical pain, endodontic pain, etc), neuropathic (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia, herpes zoster, etc) and mixed (e.g., the TMJDs, atypical odontalgia) origins.
The impetus for this RFA lies in the recent completion of the sequencing of the human genome and the rapid development of genomic, proteomic and imaging approaches that allow the study of gene and protein expression, functional protein networks, and functional brain mapping. The application of these techniques together with state-of-the-art computational analyses will allow the rapid identification of key proteins, protein-protein interactions and brain areas that are involved in pain sensation and that are altered in chronic pain states.
Briefly, this RFA will support research aimed at discovering molecular mechanisms of orofacial pain and identifying proteins and functional protein networks in the central and peripheral nervous systems responsible for processing nociceptive information. Especially important are those proteins and networks that play key roles in pain sensation and whose levels of expression and post-translational modification are altered in chronic pain disorders. This research will help to identify new therapeutic targets that will lead to novel approaches to orofacial pain management.