In Vivo Microscopic Imaging for Drug Development and Pain Research with Neurotar

Did you know that Neurotar’s service offering extends beyond the central nervous system (CNS) to peripheral nerves? In vivo microscopic imaging of cutaneous nerve endings is particularly relevant for pain research and drug development. The assay allows the user to quantify nerve degeneration, regeneration and sprouting in mouse models of neuropathic or chemotherapy-induced pain.

The assay was utilized to repeatedly image a YFP-expressing sensory nerve ending through the hind-paw skin of an anesthetized mouse over several days. Neurotar targeted one of the nerve’s branches for selective lesioning with a high-power infrared laser, and imaged its degeneration process followed by partial regeneration over ten days.