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European Pain School 2025: Applications Open

PRF Team


15 January 2025


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The European Pain School (EPS), founded at the University of Siena (Italy) in 2002, is the first and premier school intended for students working on basic science and clinical topics related to acute and chronic pain. EPS has an interdisciplinary perspective and a distinct research orientation. Young scientists at the Ph.D. or postdoctoral levels (or equivalent) in all fields of pain science and pain medicine are encouraged to apply.

The European Pain School believes in the advancement of interdisciplinary programs for the ultimate benefit of pain patients, disseminating this vision especially among junior investigators interested in basic and clinical research on pain.

2025 Edition: Cancer Pain

The complex relationship between cancer and pain will be the topic of the 2025 edition of EPS. Pain affects a significant percentage of cancer patients, with approximately 20% to 50% experiencing its effects. Moreover, about 80% of those with advanced-stage cancer report moderate to severe pain, originating from the primary tumor itself or its metastases. However, treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and supportive care can also induce pain.

Despite advancements in targeted cancer treatments, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, which remain fundamental in oncology, are often associated with polyneuropathies and localized or diffuse pain. Both acute and chronic cancer pain, characterized by nociceptive or neuropathic features, involve a multitude of mediators derived from cancer cells or the tumor microenvironment, which interact with surrounding nerve fibers.

The tumor microenvironment releases various algogenic mediators, including protons, bradykinin, endothelins, prostaglandins, growth factors, cytokines, proteases and other factors which activate and/or sensitize nociceptors. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of immune and inflammatory cells in the development and maintenance of cancer pain. Additionally, the peripheral nervous system plays a significant role in modulating tumor initiation and progression, contributing to pain through mechanisms such as transformation, invasion, metastasis, and the development of chemoresistance.

Perineural invasion has emerged as a novel area of investigation, shedding light on the dissemination of cancer and the associated pain. Furthermore, peripheral glial cells have been identified as crucial mediators in encoding chronic pain across various pain conditions, including cancer-related pain. Lectures at the EPS edition will delve into these areas, highlighting recent advancements and technologies aimed at identifying novel targets for managing breakthrough and chronic cancer pain.

Topics

  • Nociceptor excitation/sensitization by the cancer microenvironment
  • Cancer pain, cytokines and growth factors
  • Role of the immune system in cancer pain
  • Central and peripheral glial cells in cancer pain
  • Antioxidant mechanisms and neuropathic cancer pain therapy
  • The role of proteases in cancer pain
  • Rodent models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity
  • Opioid-induced neurotoxicity in cancer pain
  • Neurobiological mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects
  • Psychological features of cancer pain patients

Important dates

Application deadline: 14 February 2025

Notification of selections: 24 February 2025

Deadline for attendance confirmation: 3 March 2025

Faculty 2025

Anna Maria Aloisi, Siena, Italy
Ofrit Bar-Bachar, Ramat Yishai, Israel
Carlo V. Bellieni, Siena, Italy
Giancarlo Carli, Siena, Italy
Luana Colloca, Baltimore, MD, USA
Lesley Colvin, Dundee, United Kingdom
Francesco De Logu, Florence, Italy
Pierangelo Geppetti, Florence, Italy
Marzia Malcangio, London, United Kingdom
Sebastiano Mercadante, Palermo, Italy
Daniela Salvemini, St. Louis, MO, USA
Peter Reeh, Erlangen, Germany
Brian L. Schmidt, New York, NY, USA
Camilla Svensson, Stockholm, Sweden
Irina Vetter, Brisbane, Australia

Apply now!

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