Nerve Block
A preclinical model of sciatic nerve block.
Rapid Assessment of Nerve Blocking Agents
Nerve blocking agents are often used to replace general anesthesia in surgery, provide effective post-operative pain control, and reduce opioid-related side effects. The preclinical model of sciatic nerve block enables researchers to directly access and dose to the sciatic nerve and allows the screening of new nerve blocking agents or drugs designed to reverse local analgesia.
The capability can be applied to other neuropathic pain models such as the SNL and CCI models. The ability to access the sciatic nerve directly opens up options for drug developers. For instance, those who are working with ion channel blockers now have the ability to dose directly to the sciatic nerve rather than systemic administration.
Assessments
Neurological disorders often result in a combination of motor and cognitive deficits. Thus, behavioral assessments in conjunction with physiological readouts offer a broader understanding of the basic biological mechanism of disease and cognitive impairment, highly relevant to therapeutic developments.
Behavior
Pain behavior tests assess the response to various pain stimuli.
Biomarkers
Evaluate pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory biomarkers from CSF samples.
Histology
IHC and histological staining to evaluate inflammatory markers in the paw skin.
Electrophysiology
Evaluate spontaneous nerve firing using in vivo electrophysiology.