Scientists at the University of Michigan are set to begin human trials of a gene therapy designed to treat chronic pain associated with cancer.
The technique, developed by Professor David Fink and colleagues, uses the herpes simplex virus (HSV) to deliver the gene for enkephalin – an opioid produced naturally by the body – to the nervous system. The therapy will be delivered via 10 small injections into the skin, and will require an overnight stay in hospital.
The researchers have already demonstrated that the technique is effective in rats with pain resulting from inflammation, nerve damage, or spinal cord injury, and in mice with pain caused by cancer.
News release: Gene therapy for chronic pain enters first human trial. University of Michigan Health System website. September 15th 2008.
