By Michelle Jaffee
In the quest for a better arsenal of nonopioid pain relievers, University of Florida neuroscientists report promising results of a new compound tested in preclinical animal models and nerve cells of both humans and animals. The findings, published Dec. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, offer evidence to continue researching the compound, called C2230.
Like in-use medications Ziconotide and Gabapentin, C2230 targets the CaV2.2 calcium channel found in nerve cells, which plays an important role in transmitting pain signals. But C2230, the researchers reported, has a novel way of binding to CaV2.2 — different from other compounds.
“We found that C2230 is particularly effective at blocking these channels when they are highly active, which is typically the case in chronic pain conditions,” said senior author and McKnight Brain Institute investigator Rajesh Khanna, Ph.D., who led the international team of collaborators. “This means that C2230 could potentially provide effective pain relief without interfering with normal nerve function.”
Using techniques including electrophysiology, biochemistry, behavioral tests, and fiber photometry — a method to visualize and decode neural activity — the investigators assessed CC230 in several animal models of nerve pain, facial pain, and osteoarthritis. They also ran experiments in nerve cells of both animals and humans to show consistency across species.
The next step, Khanna said, is to refine the chemical structure of the compound.
“We hope that this study will pave the way for the development of new, nonopioid pain medications that are more effective and have fewer side effects than current treatments,” said Khanna, a professor of pharmacology and therapeutics and director of the UF Pain Research and Integrated Neuroscience Center (PRINC).