Systems Genetics of Chronic Pain

Abstract

Abstract : Chronic pain is among the most prevalent health problems in the United States today, affecting 10% of the population and costing the U.S. billions of dollars each year in health care expenses, lost income, and lost productivity. Genetic differences among individuals in pain response physiology are partially responsible for observed variation in chronic pain development and maintenance. To identify genes affecting inter-individual variability in chronic pain response we are using a state of the art reference population of laboratory mice (Diversity Outbred mice). Diversity Outbred (DO) mice are a unique population of laboratory mice designed to maximize allelic variation throughout the genome (Churchill, Gatti et al 2012). Each DO mouse is genetically unique. Unlike fully inbred strains, cohorts of DO mice approximate the levels of genetic (allelic) diversity found in human populations. The levels of segregating phenotypic and allelic diversity in DO mice allow for high precision for mapping regions of the genome that condition complex traits. Identifying genes whose allelic variants condition susceptibility to chronic pain development will further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic pain. This information, in turn, promises to facilitate improved methods for individualized chronic pain treatment and prevention.