Within this site you will find summaries of my more recent research work, which I hope you will find of interest. I have two major research interests, one involving the molecular pharmacology and cell signalling properties of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and the other attempting to relate this work to 'real' cells through the study of primary sensory neurons and the factors regulating pain transmission through the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). This latter work has brought me to the study of a completely different receptor system involving Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4). This is a receptor normally associated with cells of the innate immune system, to allow rapid responses to bacterial infection. TLR4 has now been found on DRG neurons and has many other activators, including products arising from nerve damage. Therefore, blocking TLR4 function may be a new route to treating neuropathic pain. Over the next few months, I will add more information on this latter topic as new discoveries unfold.
Please contact me for further information.
Professor Helen Wise, Neuro-degeneration, -development and Repair theme, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
And, please check out my photography collections to see what living in Hong Kong is all about.