Camilla I Svensson Laboratory - “The Molecular Pain Research group”
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Insitutet, Sweden


Our research is centered on mechanisms that regulate pain signaling, with a particular focus on pain processing in the spinal cord and communication between neurons and glia in the central nervous system. We are investigating the role of both pro- and antiinflammatory signaling pathways and factors in experimental models of inflammation and arthritis-induced pain, with the aim to pin point novel targets for the development of new pain therapeutics.

Ongoing projects:

•    Collagen antibody induced arthritis (CAIA) and KBxN serum transfer arthritis – characterization and validation of these mouse models as novel models of arthritis-induced pain

•    Sex difference in mouse models of arthritis-induced pain

•    Role of astrocytes and microglia, and glia-mediated release of pain-associated factors in inflammation and arthritis-induced pain.

•    Role of 12/15 lipoxygenase, resolvins and the ChemR23 receptor in inflammation and arthritis-induced pain.

•    Gadd45β and NR4A – studies of two novel anti-inflammatory proteins in the regulation of spinal pain transmission

•    Regulation of spinal AMPA receptor subunit composition in inflammation and arthritis-induced pain - novel roles for cytokines in pain transmission

•    Role of mTOR mediated signaling in inflammation and nerve injury-induced pain. Is the effect of pentoxifylline and propentofylline mediated via mTOR inhibition?

•    Characterization of rat and human spinal primary astrocyte cultures. What can these cells tell us about glutamate clearance and cytokine release in chronic pain states?