One in five Australians suffers from chronic pain. It is one of the most under-recognised and undertreated medical problems and is now becoming recognized as a disease. It is a problem that costs the Australian economy $34billion a year and costs sufferers significantly in quality of life. Current treatments for pain either don’t work, or have terrible side effects, like drug addiction. This centre seeks to change that.
Scientists at the Centre for Pain Research are searching for new treatment options for pain. The diversity of researchers applying their skills to pain, covering the breadth of research from discovery to the clinic, combined with cutting edge facilities that drive output, is hard to match internationally. The Centre for Pain Research is the only research centre to have successfully discovered a peptide and translated it to the clinic.
We approach pain research in three ways
- We search for new painkillers in the natural world – screening chemical diversity for new opportunities. We identify weaknesses and modify the molecule to optimise its potential as a pain drug.
- We uncover pain targets, illustrating how molecules behave within the pain pathways in our bodies. This knowledge improves the effectiveness of drugs and reduces unwanted side effects.
- We map the pain pathways within the body to determine how we feel pain and uncover new pain pathways for targeting.
General enquiries
Research enquiries
Dr Irina Vetter, Director, Centre for Pain Research
i.vetter@imb.uq.edu.au
+61 7 3346 2660
Professor Richard Lewis, Deputy Director, IMB Centre for Pain Research
r.lewis@imb.uq.edu.au
+61 7 3346 2984
Imagine waking up every day wondering if you are going to have a ‘good pain day' or a ‘bad pain day'? That is the harsh reality of those who suffer the perils of chronic pain.
IMB researchers have discovered the neurotoxin in the giant stinging tree targets the same receptors as spider and cone snail toxins.
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. One in five people suffers from chronic pain, which lasts beyond the normal time it takes the body to heal and has many causes.
Molecules from the venom of one of the world’s largest spiders could help tailor pain blockers for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Researchers are figuring out how to manipulate venom extracted from some of the deadliest species in the world, to combat the various forms of pain we experience.
20 July 2018
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IMB scientists have discovered a promising new approach to treat pain from tarantula venom.
Toxins from snakes, spiders, jellyfish and scorpions are helping scientists to better understand how pain works, with the hope of managing chronic pain more effectively.
IMB researchers are identifying pathways that contribute to pain, to help the one in five Australians who live with chronic pain.
Spiders have helped researchers from Australia and the US discover a new target for irritable bowel syndrome pain.
IMB spin-out biotech company Protagonist Therapeutics Inc is a step closer to developing a new drug that would benefit millions of people worldwide.
Catch up on the free community seminar, Pain: Making it personal, hosted by the IMB Centre for Pain Research.
23 July 2018
Bites or stings from venomous animals or insects can be dangerous; they lead to numerous fatalities globally each year despite the development of antivenoms that can neutralise many of their worst effects.
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Pain pathways
Vetter Group -
Bioactive peptides and proteins
Alewood Group -
Molecular biodiscovery: learning from nature
Capon Group -
Protein structure in drug and insecticide design
Craik Group -
Chemistry and human therapeutics
Fairlie Group -
Bugs and drugs
King Group -
Combinatorial chemistry and molecular design
Smythe Group -
Neuropeptide research
Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler
Discovering new painkillers
Familiar painkillers, or analgesics, such as paracetamol and aspirin, are not always effective in managing peoples pain, while stronger painkillers, such as morphine, can be highly addictive and can produce unwanted side effects.
The IMB Centre for Pain Research (CPR) is looking at animal venoms—such as those found in centipedes, spiders and cone snails—to develop new and more effective painkilling drugs. CPR uses a broad and comprehensive panel of assays for pain targets, addressing aspects of pain initiation and transmission using state-of-the-art screening technologies.
Pinpointing pain targets
Researchers are investigating how pain targets behave within pain pathways, right down to the molecular level, so they can work to improve the effectiveness of painkilling drugs, as well as prevent addiction and the unpleasant side effects associated with current drugs.
Using advanced NMR and X-ray crystallographic approaches, scientists can obtain accurate three-dimensional structure of molecules and precisely position the residues contributing to affinity. This knowledge will be used to improve target specificity, and, in parallel, will engineer out off-target liabilities to improve the therapeutic window of drug leads.
Mapping pain pathways
How the body feels pain is still not well understood. At the CPR, our research maps the complex pain pathways within our body. This will help us to better understand what can cause chronic pain. It will also help us to uncover new pain pathways in the body that could be targeted by painkillers.
Testing potential new treatments
CPR assesses the effectiveness of newly discovered compounds in the pain pathway of experimental models. Information gathered through this approach helps identify preferred compounds/candidate molecules, suitable patient populations, dosing routes, as well as strategies to minimise side effects in people living with pain.
Drug development
Molecules or drug targets that prove to be effective in managing pain in the lab will be chemically modified to be suitable for manufacturing. Researchers work to maximise storage and enzyme stability, ease of synthesis, and plasma half-life in vivo, without compromising therapeutic index, efficacy or safety.