Modulation of neurotransmitter receptors related to pain mechanisms
This project addresses the issue of how intracellularly synthetized and released factors can modulate the efficiency of signal transmission in the CNS, facilitating or depressing the propagation of weak or strong signals, respectively. For this project, cultured neurons are studied using molecular biology, immunocytochemistry, fast imaging, and patch-clamp techniques. In this way we can detect expression of ligand-gated channels and measure their functional properties. The modulation of ATP mediated neurotransmission is presently examined with particular emphasis on receptors that can mediate pain during an attack of migraine and are also involved in chronic pain of neuropathic origin !asasa
