Professor Zhang Xu talks about the frontiers of global pain research and the prospect of basic and clinical integration

On the eve of the 12th National Conference of the Chinese Academy of Neuroscience, Zhang Xu of the Shanghai Institute of Life Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences gave an exclusive interview to Springer Nature to discuss the frontiers of pain research, the development of big data-led scientific research and the training of scientific research personnel.study can be divided into two aspects, basic research and clinical research.
the current international important meetings and discussions agreed on a general direction, that is, neuron classification. Among them, Professor Zhang Xu felt that the back root nerves are a very good starting point, which is not only limited to pain research, but also applicable to the entire neuroscience community, because it is relatively easy to manipulate, can be used as a breakthrough point.
each back root nerve, regardless of size or function, has nearly 10,000 genes, of which more than five times express differences in genes of about 2,000. If equipped with functional identification, electrophysiology and behavior, it is enough to understand the function of each neuron, and then use virus-based tracer to make clear its neural loop and neural network, which is its direction of development.
in the next few years, the neuroscience community will "analyze the composition of the nervous system at a higher level." This view has slowly developed, creating a more objective understanding of the nervous system, and what we are doing at this level is building references. Only by determining what a normal reference is can animal models or genetically modified techniques be used to understand what an anomaly is. This is also at the forefront of neuroscience, including the pain world.
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Zhang Xu recently published a paper on the relationship between FGF13 and pain in Neuron, the second in a series of studies. Professor Zhang Xu has also been invited to make several reports on this topic.
Zhang Xu stressed in an interview that "the era of big data must be coming". From life sciences to pain research, the search for a network of genes in a cell requires multidisciplinary cross-research, and the application of so-called big data such as computing and data statistics is becoming more and more important. Adding big data methods to basic research would be more objective and accurate, according to which Professor Zhang Xu's team made a primary sensory neuron - a cell gene map of the back root neurons, equivalent to a dictionary that can be used to analyze where and how chronic pain caused the problem, how the gene was expressed, or how the combination of what went wrong, and today's science has reached this point.Professor Zhang Xu said in an interview that the clinical part of the work is not like basic research has a clear roadmap, but it can be clear that: human brain research such as brain imagery, molecular imagery, structural imagery, functional imaging to make a breakthrough, the core of which is the resolution of space-time, accuracy and detection technology to improve. The connection map of the human brain is based on brain imaging, and many connections are calculated to improve accuracy by improving algorithms and combining them with animal experiments and neuron tracering. The core of hardware improvement lies in the development of new imaging technology and equipment.
even with the current limited means of observation, DTI brain imaging and computational methods can be found to have a great impact on the structure of the human brain. Professor Zhang Xu's participation in the Pain Society, promoted by the China Health planning commission and led by the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital, now covers hundreds of hospitals, including the Medical Association, and hopes that the system will bring research and application in the field of pain into the hands of ordinary people, which is of great significance to ordinary people.
What is known is that the brain structure changes after the pain lasts for a certain amount of time, not directly caused by external nerve damage, inflammation, or cancer, but by the subsequent effects of these causes. Changes in brain structure can lead to encephalopathy, mania, depression, sleep disorders, learning and memory disorders, personality defects and many other problems. Therefore, to create better diagnosis and treatment conditions for ordinary people, more timely treatment of pain so that it does not go to chronic development is the most critical.
from a clinical or medical point of view, the understanding that pain is a brain disease is gradually being accepted. Unlike previously recognized "pain is a local condition", pain is the result of a continuous change in the structure of the brain and other problems. This is a change in thinking and understanding brought about by technological progress.
the current study of pain mechanisms and drug development has not been very thorough, but Professor Zhang Xu believes that some of the results of the study can already be used as a guideline for reference. Scientific research moving forward step by step may be a little messy at first, but eventually a well-established system is needed to make pain clinics as widespread as dental clinics, serving ordinary people.
a selection of journals in the field of neuroscience at Springer
Nature Communications
Scientific Report
BMC Medicine
BMC Neuroscience
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy
BMC Medicine
BMC Biology
BMC Neuroscience
BMC Neurology
Molecular Autism
Journal of Neuroinflammation
Molecular Brain
Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Journal of NeuroEngineering and。 Rehabilitation
Molecular Neurodegeneration
Neural Development
Behavioral and Brain Functions
Chinese Neurosurgical Journal
ActaPathologica Communications
Neurovascular
Translational Neurogeneration
BMC Journal: