Staff Profile:Dr Maria Maiaru

Name:

Dr Maria Maiaru

Job Title:

Lecturer

Responsibilities:

Areas of Interest:

My research focusses on pain mechanisms and the generation of new tools and drugs that could ameliorate persistent pain states. In particular, the aims of my research are:

1. 1. To uncover new signalling pathways involved in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and provide new targets for its treatment. My hypothesis is that dysfunction of autophagic mechanisms in peripheral and central nervous system leads to CIPN. Autophagy is a physiological process essential for a correct cellular homeostasis. Under normal conditions, autophagy is maintained at a basal level. However, following stress exposure such as in disease state, the autophagic pathway is rapidly activated. A dysfunction of autophagic process is thought to be deleterious affecting cell survival and indeed an increasing number of pathologies are linked to autophagy dysregulation. The key to successful autophagy-targeted therapeutic interventions is a thorough biological understanding of the relationship between autophagy and CIPN.
2. 2. To investigate the long-term consequence of silencing pain-pathways using novel Botulinum constructs. Despite important progress in our understanding of pain mechanism, chronic pain has remained an area of unmet medical need. Our approach involves the use of new Botulinum constructs that target specific pain signalling neurons within the spinal cord. This research has the potential to lead to new treatments for neuropathic pain, but potentially it could also improve other forms of chronic pain, such as inflammatory pain or chemotherapy-induced pain.

Collaborations:

• Prof S Hunt (University College London, UK)
• Prof B Davletov (University of Sheffield, UK)
• Prof F Cecconi (University of Tor Vergata, Italy)

Research groups / Centres:

School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Group

Publications:

Y

Jump to: 2018 | 2016 | 2015 | 2011

Number of items: 9.

2018

• Maiarù, M., Leese, C., Certo, M., Echeverria-Altuna, I., Mangione, A. S., Arsenault, J., Davletov, B. and Hunt, S. P. (2018) Selective neuronal silencing using synthetic botulinum molecules alleviates chronic pain in mice. Science Translational Medicine, 10 (450). eaar7384. ISSN 1946-6234 doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aar7384
• Maiarù, M., Morgan, O. B., Mao, T., Breitsamer, M., Bamber, H., Pöhlmann, M., Schmidt, M. V., Winter, G., Hausch, F. and Géranton, S. M. (2018) The stress regulator FKBP51: a novel and promising druggable target for the treatment of persistent pain states across sexes. Pain, 159 (7). pp. 1224-1234. ISSN 1872-6623 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001204

2016

• Tochiki, K. K., Maiarú, M., Norris, C., Hunt, S. P. and Géranton, S. M. (2016) The mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 regulates the rapid epigenetic tagging of dorsal horn neurons and nocifensive behaviour. Pain, 157 (11). pp. 2594-2604. ISSN 0304-3959 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000679
• Maiarù, M., Morgan, O. B., Tochiki, K. K., Hobbiger, E. J., Rajani, K., Overington, D. W. U. and Géranton, S. M. (2016) Complex regulation of the regulator of synaptic plasticity histone deacetylase 2 in the rodent dorsal horn after peripheral injury. Journal of Neurochemistry, 138 (2). pp. 222-232. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.13621
• Mangione, A. S., Obara, I., Maiarú, M., Geranton, S. M., Tassorelli, C., Ferrari, E., Leese, C., Davletov, B. and Hunt, S. P. (2016) Nonparalytic botulinum molecules for the control of pain. Pain, 157 (5). pp. 1045-1055. ISSN 0304-3959 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000478
• Maiarù, M., Tochiki, K. K., Cox, M. B., Annan, L. V., Bell, C. G., Feng, X., Hausch, F. and Géranton, S. M. (2016) The stress regulator FKBP51 drives chronic pain by modulating spinal glucocorticoid signaling. Science Translational Medicine, 8 (325). 325ra19. ISSN 1946-6234 doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aab3376

2015

• Tochiki, K. K., Maiarù, M., Miller, J. R. C., Hunt, S. P. and Géranton, S. M. (2015) Short-term anesthesia inhibits formalin-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex but not in the spinal cord. Molecular Pain, 11. 49. ISSN 1744-8069 doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12990-015-0052-z
• Berliocchi, L., Maiarù, M., Varano, G. P., Russo, R., Corasaniti, M. T., Bagetta, G. and Tassorelli, C. (2015) Spinal autophagy is differently modulated in distinct mouse models of neuropathic pain. Molecular Pain, 11. 3. ISSN 1744-8069 doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8069-11-3

2011

• Berliocchi, L., Russo, R., Maiarù, M., Levato, A., Bagetta, G. and Corasaniti, M. T. (2011) Autophagy impairment in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Molecular pain, 7. 83. ISSN 1744-8069 doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8069-7-83

This list was generated on Mon Jan 18 11:07:10 2021 UTC.