Fibroblasts as key drivers of persistent pain in inflammatory arthritis

Many people with inflammatory arthritis live with pain - even when their inflammation is well-controlled through medication. Traditionally, it is thought that this pain persists because the brain sends signals that patients experience as painful. Another option is that this pain is continually caused in the patients' joints, by local cells called fibroblasts. Immunologists have shown that fibroblasts are hyperactive in arthritis and make factors that can interact with nerves. However, we lack detailed knowledge of this process and how it affects pain. Our interdisciplinary team will address this gap. We aim to: show that human fibroblasts can affect human nerves negatively; identify which type of fibroblast is most important in this process; identify the fibroblast factors which might make good painkillers. Fibroblasts are everywhere; understanding how they affect nerves may therefore not only help us fight chronic pain in joints, but also in other places like skin and muscle.