2026 IBRO Collaborative Research Grants

AWARDED TO 21 RESEARCH GROUPS WORLDWIDE

These grants are designed to support the collaborative efforts of selected emerging research groups, covering various associated costs, including travel, accommodation, subsistence, and other direct collaboration expenses.

This year, IBRO received 74 applications worldwide. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 21 projects were selected for funding. The successful projects involve project leaders from 16 countries and project collaborators from 11 countries.

Professor Letizia Marvaldi – NICO Research Group Brain Development and Desesases, lead by prof. Alessandro Vercelli – was awarded for her project:

Influence of Social Context on Pain Perception and Neuronal Regeneration in Importin α3 Knockout Mice

This project is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Philip Freund and Marco Terenzio dell’Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST, Japan), and Dr. Christian Pritz and Dr. Sofia Dotta at the Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO, Italy).

By combining expertise in pain biology, neuronal regeneration, and behavioral neuroscience, this study aims to provide novel insights into the relationship between social behavior and physiological recovery after nerve injury. Ultimately, the findings may identify social environment as a critical yet underexplored factor influencing neuropathic pain and regeneration, opening new avenues for improving recovery and quality of life in patients affected by peripheral nerve injuries.

Chronic pain: a biological but also social phenomenon

Chronic pain affects nearly one-third of the global population and represents a major clinical and socioeconomic burden. While pain is traditionally studied as a biological phenomenon, increasing evidence highlights the importance of psychological and social factors in shaping pain perception and recovery. Despite this growing recognition, the influence of social environment on neuropathic pain and neuronal regeneration following peripheral nerve injury remains poorly understood.

      This project aims to investigate how social interactions affect pain-related behaviors and nerve regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. To address this question, we employ importin α3 knockout (KO) mice, a well-established model characterized by reduced chronic pain following nerve injury due to alterations in pain-associated gene transcription. 
By comparing KO and wild-type (WT) mice housed under different social conditions – individual housing, pairs, and groups of three animals – we seek to determine whether social context modulates both behavioral and regenerative responses to injury.

All animals underwent sciatic nerve crush injury and were monitored for up to 25 days post-injury. Pain sensitivity was assessed using Von Frey and Hargreaves behavioral tests, together with automated paw posture analysis, a novel and objective measure that closely reflects injury severity and functional recovery. In parallel, home-cage video recordings are being analyzed to quantify locomotor activity and social interactions, allowing a comprehensive characterization of social behavior before and after injury.

To evaluate neuronal regeneration, sciatic nerves, dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), and paw skin samples were collected at 7 and 28 days following injury. Histological analyses will assess whether social housing conditions influence regenerative processes at the injury site, within sensory neuron cell bodies, and at peripheral target innervation sites. In future studies, these analyses will be complemented by the investigation of brain-related signaling pathways to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuronal regeneration and pain.