Precision medicine for pain patients: Precision2Treat

Prof. Angelika Lampert from the Institute for Physiology and Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Ralf Hausmann from the Institute for Clinical Pharmacology have successfully acquired funding for the Precision²Treat joint project. The project is funded with €1.7 million by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Precision²Treat stands for PRECISION Drug Therapy to TREAT Pain Patients, and its focus is on making stem cell-derived neurons from patients accessible for drug screening. The project specifically targets patients with small fiber neuropathies (SFN) or erythromelalgia (IEM). By testing active ingredients on the patient's own cells, the project aims to provide personalized therapy to pain patients who have not been able to receive sufficient treatment so far.

To achieve this goal, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are generated from the blood of selected affected persons and differentiated into sensory neurons. These neurons are then analyzed for biophysical malfunctions using a high-throughput electrophysiology device to make them accessible for drug screening. The project aims to assess the effectiveness of substances individually for patients in the future.