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Search Neuroscience

Research Interests:

The spinal cord carries pain signals to the brain via excitatory neurotransmission and contains most of the same inhibitory neurotransmission systems as the brain. Spinal delivery of analgesics that activate such inhibitory systems offers a very selective method of pain control that can increase the therapeutic index of such analgesics by reducing or eliminating their exposure to brain regions that mediate undesired side effects.

A primary interest of Dr. Fairbanks's team includes understanding the basic spinal neural mechanisms (glutamate-induced plasticity) governing induction chronic pain as well as opioid-induced tolerance and addiction. Her laboratory currently researches the role of an endogenous amine, agmatine (decarboxylated arginine), in those biological events. Studies of glutamatergic and agmatinergic neurotransmission in the spinal cord apply behavioral, biochemical, immunocytochemical and molecular techniques. Acquiring such information may lead to the development of a novel class of spinally delivered drugs intended for reversing (rather than alleviating) the effects of chronic pain.

Selected Publications:

(For a comprehensive list of recent publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine.)

Stone LS, Kitto KF, Eisenach JC, Fairbanks CA, Wilcox GL. ST91 [2-(2,6-diethylphenylamino)-2-imidazoline hydrochloride]-mediated spinal antinociception and synergy with opioids persists in the absence of functional alpha-2A- or alpha-2C-adrenergic receptors. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007 Dec;323(3):899-906.

Goracke-Postle CJ, Overland AC, Riedl MS, Stone LS, Fairbanks CA. Potassium- and capsaicin-induced release of agmatine from spinal nerve terminals. J Neurochem. 2007 Sep;102(6):1738-48.

Goracke-Postle CJ, Overland AC, Stone LS, Fairbanks CA. Agmatine transport into spinal nerve terminals is modulated by polyamine analogs. J Neurochem. 2007 Jan;100(1):132-41.

Kitto KF, Fairbanks CA. Supraspinally administered agmatine prevents the development of supraspinal morphine analgesic tolerance. Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Apr 24;536(1-2):133-7.

Goracke-Postle CJ, Nguyen HO, Stone LS, Fairbanks CA. Release of tritiated agmatine from spinal synaptosomes. Neuroreport. 2006 Jan 23;17(1):13-7.

Roberts JC, Grocholski BM, Kitto KF, Fairbanks CA. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies of agmatine after spinal administration in the mouse. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005 Sep;314(3):1226-33.

King EW, Audette K, Athman GA, Nguyen HO, Sluka KA, Fairbanks CA. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation activates peripherally located alpha-2A adrenergic receptors. Pain. 2005 Jun;115(3):364-73.

Current Graduate Students:

Aaron Overland (Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).

Former Graduate Students:

Cory Jo Goracke-Postle (Ph.D. 2007, Neuroscience, University of Minnesota).