Targeting TRPV1 activity via high-dose capsaicin in patients with sickle cell disease.

ABSTRACT: Evidence suggests neuropathic pain (NP) develops over time in sickle cell disease (SCD), contributing to a complex, difficult-to-treat phenotype, with management based on scant evidence. One characteristic of NP found is hyperalgesia caused by nervous system sensitization, but risk factors for this have not been identified within the SCD population, as exact mechanisms leading to its development are not well defined. The SPICE (Sickle cell Pain: Intervention with Capsaicin Exposure) trial was a pilot safety and feasibility trial of high-dose (8%) topical capsaicin for patients with SCD and recurrent/chronic pain with neuropathic features, aimed at exploring capsaicin's utility as a mechanistic probe and adjunctive pain treatment for this population. Ten participants identifying "target" si

SUBMITTER: Glaros AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9421981 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature