News

Dr. B. Duncan X. Lascelles and research technician, Ms. Andrea Thomson

A note from Dr. Lascelles: “Sincere thanks to all I’ve worked with to understand and control pain in cats!! Let’s keep going!”  Read full article.

Ongoing Research

• Discovery of novel pain relieving approaches
  We also carefully collect and analyze blood and synovial fluid from pet dogs with painful conditions to investigate what is actually causing the pain on a molecular level. Tissue samples are collected from dogs to investigate neuronal changes that occur with chronic pain to discover unknown mechanisms and new pharmacological targets. The similarities between dogs and humans make these samples particularly useful for developing novel, effective, and safe therapeutics both in veterinary and human medicine.

Tissue samples are collected from dogs to investigate neuronal changes that occur with chronic pain to discover unknown mechanisms and new pharmacological targets.

• Chronic musculoskeletal pain in cats
  It is estimated that approximately 45% of all cats (and over 90% of cats over 10 years of age) show signs associated with musculoskeletal (e.g. joint) pain, making it the most common condition in cats. Our team develops ways to measure the disease and pain so that we can test potential therapeutics, and unravels the causes of musculoskeletal pain in cats. We use many approaches to measuring the impact of pain in cats, including activity monitors worn on the collar in the home environment.

‘Paradox’ has just been fitted with a small activity monitor that will tell us about activity over the next several weeks.

Thank you to our friends at VetPetz for helping us develop this educational video.

• Chronic pain in dogs: a model of human chronic pain
  Naturally occurring osteoarthritis and osteosarcoma in pet dogs is very similar to the same conditions in humans. We study osteoarthritis and osteosarcoma in pet dogs as models of the human conditions, allowing us to both learn more about how to manage these painful conditions in dogs, and contribute to the development of non-opioid pain therapeutics in humans. We use a wide variety of validated subjective and objective outcome measures to assess putative analgesic drugs that may be developed for use.Watch this video where experts in the veterinary and human pain fields talk about how pets can contribute to human pain research and benefit themselves.
  
  We also carefully collect and analyze blood and tissue from pet dogs with painful conditions to understand what is actually causing the pain, and to develop novel, effective and safe therapeutics.

• Evaluation of activity in dogs with osteoarthritis ‘Wearable technology’ is a rapidly developing field, and may allow us to detect developing conditions, including pain, earlier. Such technology also has the potential to allow us to measure the impact of pain on overall activity, an animal’s ability to perform certain activities, and sleep quality, and of course to measure the benefit of therapeutics. We are actively working in this area to assess the utility of wearable technology in cats and dogs, and to develop ways to appropriately manage and interpret the data generated.

Ready to be active?

• Impact of early life pain on later chronic pain
  Many human babies are born prematurely, and are subject to multiple painful procedures early in life. Similarly, many young animals undergo painful procedures early in life. These early life painful experiences may make later painful conditions more painful due to ‘priming’ of the nervous system, probably through cells called Glia. We are working to understand the impact of early life painful experience on chronic pain later in life, and on understanding what may cause this.

Enrolling!

Current clinical studies we are enrolling patients for:  Learn more

Wall of Fame

Trial participants are key to our success

Our thanks to all our feline friends that participated in studies to help alleviation of pain in pets! We couldn’t do our research without their participation in our clinical trials. Get to know some of the many wonderful felines who have helped make a difference.

Clinical Metrology Instruments

Learn more

Resources