U of S researchers aim for pain relief in diabetic neuropathy

content of the article

Diabetes affects approximately three million Canadians and its prevalence is increasing annually. About half of people living with diabetes experience nerve pain and sensory problems — known as diabetic neuropathy — that range from mildly uncomfortable to severely debilitating.

content of the article

Joseph Neapetung, a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) College of Medicine, is focusing his research on investigating the cellular mechanisms behind the causes of this pain by examining a specific calcium channel in neurons that plays a role in pain perception.

content of the article

Although diabetic neuropathy is widespread, currently available therapies to treat it are often not effective because the condition itself is not understood, Neapetung said.

“Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes, affecting 50 percent of patients,” he said. “Sensory neuropathy can result in loss of sensation and/or increased pain sensitivity in the hands and feet, severely impacting patients’ quality of life.”

content of the article

Under the direction of Associate Professor Dr. Veronica Campanucci (PhD) conducted Neapetung behavioral and electrophysiological experiments. By recording electrical activity, Neapetung was able to measure the level of nerve cell activation needed to elicit minimal nerve sensation and then analyze how that level differs in people with diabetes from those without diabetes.

“It has been known for decades that neuropathy becomes more severe with the duration of diabetes, but so far my work has revealed that there are very specific changes in sensory neurons that occur very early in diabetes that are usually overlooked,” Neapetung said.

“What is unique about this research is that it focuses on the early stages of diabetes rather than the long-term stages of diabetes. Many studies have been done on the calcium channel that interests us, but most, if not all, research has been done on long-term diabetes.”

content of the article

Researchers hope the study results can be used to design more effective treatments and strategies that could treat or prevent this painful condition.

“Understanding the mechanisms involved in the onset of this disease may even prevent some individuals from undergoing lower extremity amputation due to complications arising from this type of neuropathy,” Neapetung said.

The next steps will be to determine which proteins contribute to pain-related calcium channel dysfunction and to conduct imaging experiments that will make it possible to observe entire networks of nerve cells responsible for pain sensations, he said.

“One of my career plans is to apply to the College of Medicine with hopes of becoming a doctor to help people manage painful conditions like diabetic sensory neuropathy,” Neapetung added. “The birth of my son really pushed me forward and still does.”

content of the article

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and the Office of the Vice-Dean Research at the College of Medicine.

This content is powered by a partnership between the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the University of Saskatchewan.

Want to know how we decide what to cover and how editorial decisions are made in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader post? Get the weekly newspaper Editor’s letter Newsletter from Editor-in-Chief Russell Wangersky and join the discussion on what’s behind reporting news and providing commentary, both in print and online. Click here to login.