Treatment of Craniofacial Pain Disorders

This invention uses the gene-editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 to target pain-related proteins in the trigeminal ganglion. This editing was shown to inhibit migraine-like pain in female mice and has potential to treat craniofacial pain disorders and has long-lasting analgesic effects.

Background:
Many people suffer from craniofacial pain disorders, with the most common being temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), which may affect up to 12% of the population, costing around $4 billion to treat. There are currently not many treatment options for this disorder or to treat other symptoms of craniofacial pain besides muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and addictive pain medications. This technology, using CRISPR, has the potential to edit the human reaction to chronic pain and pain associated with craniofacial disorders by targeting pain-related proteins in the trigeminal ganglion. This method is highly effective and non-addictive. Additionally, these CRISPR conducts are novel in that they are able to be non-invasively administered intranasally for convenience.

Applications:

• Craniofacial pain relief
• Treatment for diseases such as trigeminal neuralgia, oral cancer, temporomandibular joint disorder, headache disorders, etc.
• Long-lasting analgesic

Advantages:

• Long-lasting pain relief
• Non-invasive intranasal administration
• Non-addictive pain treatment