Researchers from the University of Michigan Department of Neurology have received a $1.8 million dollar grant to develop a novel therapy for neuropathic pain, a difficult to treat condition in which patients experience pain because of damage to nerve without obvious tissue injury. In previously published studies, these investigators have found that gene transfer to sensory nerves using a modified herpes simplex virus-based vector effectively reduced pain-related behaviors in rodents with nerve damage caused by trauma or diabetes.
Construction of the vector will be carried out under contract by Diamyd, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA. Diamyd is funding the phase 1 trial of the preproenkephalin vector, and has licensed the patents to the vector technology.
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