Objective: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Pain is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms in PD, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL), affecting up to 80% of patients.

Background: Chronic pain is a debilitating feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life. Neuroinflammation and dysfunction of ion channels, particularly TRP channels like TRPV1, Although TRPV1 is known to be associated with inflammation and pain in general, its specific role in PD-related pain has not yet been well established.

Method: TRP channel expression was measured in PBMCs from PD patients (with/without pain) and controls and correlated with clinical severity. Pain scores and TRPV1 expression and Inflammatory pathway genes (hsa04750) were analyzed using PPMI data and GSE8397. A PFF-induced PD mouse model (±LPS) was used for behavioral pain/motor tests and to assess effects of a TRPV1 antagonist. TRPV1 protein was also measured in brain tissue.

Results: TRPV1 expression was significantly elevated in PBMCs from PD patients, especially those with pain, compared to healthy controls. Higher TRPV1 levels correlated with greater motor and non-motor symptom severity. Pain scores and TRPV1 expression remained persistently higher in PD patients over time. Inflammatory pathway genes—including TRPV1, NGF, PLCB4, and MAPKs—were upregulated in high-pain PD groups. and TRPV1 and other neuroinflammatory genes were also increased in the lateral substantia nigra brain regions affected by PD. Gene set enrichment confirmed the activation of pain and inflammation-related pathways. In the PFF-induced PD mouse model, both PFF and PFF+LPS groups showed motor deficits and heightened pain sensitivity. Administration of a TRPV1 antagonist reduced thermal pain sensitivity without affecting motor function, and TRPV1 protein levels at pathology sites were also lowered after treatment.

Conclusion: TRPV1 upregulation in blood and brain is linked to increased pain and symptom severity in PD. TRPV1 antagonism selectively reduced pain in animal models, supporting its potential as a therapeutic target for PD-related pain.

Posted in ICKMDS 2025 JEJU, KOREA

PPMI Cohort PNS data

Hospital cohort PBMC Data

GSE8397 cohort CNS data

In Vivo test Data

« Back to 2026 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/pain-management-in-parkinsons-disease-the-role-of-trpv1-as-a-therapeutic-target/