Grant awarded to UC researcher studying chronic pain at cellular level

The national opioid epidemic has been deemed a public health emergency, and a goal of the initiative is to accelerate scientific solutions to the crisis. The initiative is funding more than 1,800 projects nationwide, including research into safe and effective pain treatment and pain management.

At UC, Temugin Berta, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, is leading a HEAL Initiative project, studying postoperative pain at the molecular and cellular levels. From that, he hopes to develop new and improved non-addictive treatments.

"While we understand a lot about how postoperative pain develops, we know less about how it naturally resolves. Our preclinical research examines how disruptions in the body's natural pain resolution mechanisms can lead to chronic pain — and how restoring these mechanisms could provide safer, more effective treatments," said Berta, whose faculty lab on campus is part of the UC Pain Research Center.

After surgery, the body initiates a protective inflammatory response around the wound site. While this response causes pain, it plays a vital role in defending against infection. Typically, inflammation subsides within days, promoting pain resolution and wound healing. However, in some patients, persistent inflammation can lead to chronic pain.

"Our laboratory has identified a key transcription factor that regulates both inflammation and pain resolution. Indeed, our preliminary findings indicate that when this transcription factor is absent, chronic pain is prone to develop after surgery. Conversely, activating it with a small molecule agonist accelerates postoperative pain resolution," said Berta. “It’s highly significant for the HEAL Initiative because it will reveal new, safer mechanisms of pain resolution.”

His research, which includes a pending patent, addresses a major health care challenge. Each year, medical professionals perform more than 51 million surgeries in the United States. About 30% of patients develop chronic postoperative pain, defined as pain that lingers months later. It can lead to extended hospital stays and increased opioid prescriptions. 

But Berta said his research has broad implications beyond postoperative pain.

"The same lack of inflammation and pain resolution we're studying are fundamental to many chronic pain conditions, including lower back pain and pain associated with diabetes or chemotherapy treatments,” said Berta. “By understanding these mechanisms, we can develop more targeted therapies for numerous conditions."

Looking ahead, Berta plans to expand his investigation of these pain resolution pathways across different chronic pain conditions. 

Featured photo at top: Temugin Berta, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, studies chronic pain at the cellular level. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.