Assessing the role of a novel drug combination in preventing fibrosis and maintaining nerve function after injury

This study will test a novel method for reducing, treating and/or managing fibrosis after nerve injury. Damage to peripheral nerves leads to development of fibrosis around the site of the injury, resulting in pain and hyperalgesia. In preliminary studies, we found that the combination of a low-dose opioid with a clinically approved dopamine type 3 receptor (D3R) agonis was able to maintain functional properties of nerve function after injury, while none of the individual drugs had any effect on their own. Here, we will assess if this combination treatment restores neural functions or whether it prevents their degeneration. We will test pain reflexes in a rodent model after injury over time, in the presence or absence of the drug treatment, and as a function of the timing (starting immediately after injury or pain symptoms have been established). In parallel, we will test how neural function is altered or maintained, and we will quantify the impact of the drug treatment on the development of the fibrotic scar that is usually associated with the injury. If successful, this project will open the door for new treatment for fibrosis across a wide range of disease and injury states.

Scholars @ ECU