Artwork by Kathleen Sluka
For most people, pain goes away when an injury heals. But for some people, pain after surgery can linger, and can last for years or even a lifetime. The Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS) project is a bold research initiative - the largest and most comprehensive of its kind - being carried out by a nation-wide consortium of researchers. The findings will help researchers to develop better, more individualized treatments for patients and to better understand the complex biological processes underlying chronic pain.
About A2CPS
A2CPS will collect questionnaires, blood samples and brain imaging from 2,800 participants before and for up to 12 months after having total knee replacement or thoracic surgery.
Many diseases can be diagnosed, tracked and predicted with biological markers, or biomarkers, but none are yet known for chronic pain. The major aim of A2CPS is to find biomarkers or bio-signatures of the transition to chronic pain.
The A2CPS consortium is organized into four main hubs, with over 100 investigators and staff around the country. Our researchers span a wide range of expertise, from basic scientists to clinicians to data management experts.
In addition to biological specimens, A2CPS also collects different types of data from our participants, including patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quantitative sensory testing (QST), among others.
The term “omics” refers to the collection of information about the molecules found in our blood, which can tell us about the activity of genes, proteins, lipids and metabolites in our cells and tissues.
Previous studies have identified “signatures” of brain activity that reflect a painful experience, and others that predicted who was more likely to develop chronic pain. A2CPS will include brain-imaging data in our search for biosignatures of chronic pain.
Did you know?
A2CPS now ranks #9 among the largest brain-imaging studies undertaken to date!
Published October 2024
The NIH's Helping End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative is in the process of strategic planning for its next five years of funding, and they want your input at a series of workshops led by external pain research experts in 7 topical areas. Registration is free and open to the public, people with lived experience of pain, clinicians and researchers. Workshops run from Nov 6 - Dec 6.
Webinar: HEAL & US Pain Foundation
Published September 2024
Join NIH's HEAL Initiative and the U.S. Pain Foundation on September 23, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET for a conversation with Dr. Laura Simons of Stanford Medicine; Ashley McDonnell, a person with lived experience with chronic pain and an ongoing research partner; and Dr. Linda Porter from NINDS. This conversation is intended for people living with pain and those who support them. Register here.
