Research on spinal cord pain signalling
The Hildebrand Laboratory combines rodent models of chronic inflammatory and nerve damage pain with electrical recordings on pain-specific neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. We are one of a handful of labs in the world capable of studying the roles of particular proteins (ion channels) in normal and pathological spinal cord pain signalling. To study the role of these proteins, we have developed a protocol to section spinal cord tissue from juvenile and adult animals. We perform electrophysiological recordings on individual neurons within viable spinal cord slices, which we section in the parasagittal orientation to preserve neuronal processes.
Ex vivo screening assays: Testing the effects of potential analgesic pharmaceutical compounds on neuronal excitability and ion channel function in pain-specific spinal cord neurons (lamina I neurons).
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Specialized labs and equipment
Equipment |
Function |
---|---|
Vibratome |
Instrument used to section tissue |
Electrophysiology rig |
Used for patch-clamp recordings on individual visually identified neurons |