Pain & Functional Disease related Research Tools
Introduction
The study of chronic pain and functional neurological disorders represents one of the most significant challenges in modern medicine. Affecting hundreds of millions worldwide, conditions like migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, and central pain syndrome are debilitating, yet their underlying pathophysiology remains elusive. Traditional research models have often failed to capture the complex, human-specific mechanisms of neural sensitization and aberrant signaling.
At Creative Biolabs, we are empowering the next generation of neurological research. We have engineered a sophisticated portfolio of human iPSC-derived neural cell products specifically tailored for the study of pain and functional diseases. By providing physiologically relevant, reproducible, and highly characterized in vitro models, we enable researchers to move beyond the limitations of the past and accelerate the journey toward novel, effective therapeutics. Our models provide a critical bridge between genetic understanding and functional validation, offering an unparalleled window into the human nervous system. Contact one of our scientific specialists to go over the specifics of your project and get pricing information.
Alternatively, you can find specific products by consulting our complete Product List.
Types of Pain & Functional Disease Models
| Types | Description |
|---|---|
| Trigeminal Neuralgia Cell Models | Investigate the hyperexcitability and signaling pathways of trigeminal neurons to screen for novel analgesics. |
| Migraine Headache Cell Models | Co-culture models of trigeminal neurons and glial cells to study neuroinflammation and the mechanisms of cortical spreading depression. |
| Cluster Headache Cell Models | Our models are centered on the trigeminal-autonomic reflex pathway and are perfectly suited for investigating the distinct pathophysiology of cluster headaches. |
| Tension Headache Cell Models | These are systems designed to explore the role of peripheral and central sensitization in the most common form of headache. |
| Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Cell Models | Specialized dopaminergic and sensory neuron models to investigate the central and peripheral nervous system dysfunctions underlying RLS. |
| Central Pain Syndrome Cell Models | Thalamic and cortical neuron models to study the central sensitization and hyperexcitability that results from stroke, MS, or spinal cord injury. |
Advantages
Accelerate Timelines
Bypass the complex, time-consuming process of sourcing patient tissue, reprogramming, and differentiating cells. Get to your key experiments faster.
Enhance Physiological Relevance
Study pain mechanisms in human cells that exhibit disease-specific characteristics, leading to more translatable insights than traditional animal models.
Improve Reproducibility
With stringently controlled, lot-sequestered batches, you can ensure consistency across experiments and over the lifetime of your project.
Explore Novel Mechanistic Pathways
A reliable in vitro human model allows you to perform genetic manipulation, compound screening, and pathway analysis that is difficult or impossible in other systems.
Refine and Reduce Animal Use
Use a powerful in vitro system to screen compounds, identify targets, and validate hypotheses, aligning with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) principles.
Powering a Spectrum of Research Applications
You can seamlessly integrate our versatile human iPSC-derived neural models at every stage of the drug discovery and development pipeline. Creative Biolabs provides a biologically relevant and reproducible platform that empowers you to tackle critical scientific questions with enhanced speed and certainty. Our models are expertly optimized for a broad spectrum of advanced applications:
| Applications | Description |
|---|---|
| High-Throughput Screening (HTS) & Drug Discovery | Our assay-ready cell models serve as a powerful engine for modern drug discovery and high-throughput screening (HTS). Fully compatible with automated, high-density plate formats, they enable large-scale campaigns to identify promising new therapeutics. Researchers can conduct target-based screening to efficiently test thousands of compounds against specific molecules like NaV1.7 channels for neuropathic pain or CGRP receptors for migraine. These models also excel at phenotypic screening. They enable the discovery of novel analgesics by measuring functional changes, like calcium flux or membrane potential, to identify active compounds even if their mechanism isn't known. |
| Target Identification & Validation | In addition to large-scale screening, our models are vital for early-stage target identification and validation. They allow researchers to confirm a gene or protein's role in a disease before launching a full development campaign. Using genetic tools like CRISPR/Cas9 or siRNA, scientists can modify a target gene within our human cells and directly observe the functional consequence on neuronal excitability or sensitization. Likewise, pharmacological validation can be performed with known tool compounds to confirm that a specific receptor or ion channel contributes to a disease-relevant phenotype, all within a human-specific biological context. |
| Mechanistic & Pathophysiological Studies | For researchers seeking to gain unprecedented insight into the fundamental biology of pain and functional neurological disorders, our models offer an unparalleled in vitro window. Advanced techniques like patch-clamp electrophysiology and multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) can be used to study the spontaneous and evoked firing patterns that define neuronal hyperexcitability in conditions like trigeminal neuralgia. The complex signaling cascades of neurogenic inflammation can be dissected using sophisticated co-culture models, while the distinct molecular drivers of peripheral versus central sensitization can be differentiated by comparing responses in various neuron types, ultimately unraveling the core mechanisms of disease. |
| Predictive Toxicology & Safety Profiling | A critical application of our human-centric models is in de-risking the development pipeline through predictive toxicology and safety profiling. By screening lead compounds for off-target effects on human neuronal health and network function, our platform provides far more relevant data than traditional animal models, helping to predict potential CNS side effects early. This process also allows for detailed selectivity profiling, where the effects of compounds can be compared on target neurons, such as nociceptors, versus non-target CNS neurons, ensuring that therapeutic candidates are both effective and safe before advancing to later clinical stages. |
| Biomarker Discovery & Validation | Our models also facilitate the discovery and validation of translatable biomarkers essential for aiding clinical development. By analyzing the cell culture supernatant, researchers can identify and quantify secreted factors like neuropeptides or inflammatory markers, monitoring how their levels change in response to stimuli or drug treatment. In parallel, performing transcriptomic analysis on the cells can reveal unique gene expression signatures. These patterns can serve as valuable biomarkers associated with a specific disease state or a successful therapeutic response, providing objective measures of drug efficacy. |
Fig.1 Scheme of the main ascending pathways for pain perception.1
FAQs
-
What is the source material for these cell models?
Most of our models are derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are either sourced from healthy donors and genetically modified or sourced directly from patients with a specific condition. This provides unparalleled human physiological relevance. -
How do you confirm the cells exhibit a disease-relevant phenotype?
We use a variety of assays. For example, a pain model might be assessed for a heightened response to capsaicin or other nociceptive stimuli via calcium imaging, or for spontaneous or evoked hyperexcitability using MEA. -
Can you develop a custom cell model for a disease not listed here?
Yes, our Custom Cell Services team is a core part of our business. We can partner with you on projects ranging from iPSC reprogramming and gene editing to developing a completely novel differentiation protocol. -
How long can these cells be maintained in culture?
This varies by cell type, but most of our neural models can be maintained for at least 2-4 weeks post-thaw, providing a wide window for your experiments. -
How do I get a price quote?
The best way is to click the "Request a Quote" button on our website or contact our scientific support team directly via email or phone. Please provide details about your project so we can recommend the best model for your needs.
At Creative Biolabs, we are dedicated to helping you advance research on pain and functional neurological disorders. By providing physiologically relevant human iPSC-derived neuronal models and expert scientific support, we empower you to generate more predictive data, accelerate discovery, and de-risk your therapeutic programs. Get in touch with us today to receive a quote or speak with our scientific experts about your project. Accelerate your discovery pipeline and move confidently towards your next milestone with Creative Biolabs.
Related Product Sections
For more categories of Pain & Functional Disease related Research Tools, please visit the following links:
Reference
- Viellard, Juliette, et al. "Modulating Neural Circuits of Pain in Preclinical Models: Recent Insights for Future Therapeutics." Cells 13.12 (2024): 997. DOI: 10.3390/cells13120997. Use under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.