Towards precision medicine for pain: diagnostic biomarkers and repurposed drugs.

ABSTRACT: We endeavored to identify objective blood biomarkers for pain, a subjective sensation with a biological basis, using a stepwise discovery, prioritization, validation, and testing in independent cohorts design. We studied psychiatric patients, a high risk group for co-morbid pain disorders and increased perception of pain. For discovery, we used a powerful within-subject longitudinal design. We were successful in identifying blood gene expression biomarkers that were predictive of pain state, and of future emergency department (ED) visits for pain, more so when personalized by gender and diagnosis. MFAP3, which had no prior evidence in the literature for involvement in pain, had the most robust empirical evidence from our discovery and validation steps, and was a strong predictor for pain i

SUBMITTER: Niculescu AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6477790 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature