New Hope for Chronic Nerve Pain
EU Project RESOLVE Launches
- von Martin Rolshoven
- 08.06.2026
Worldwide, an estimated 10 percent of the population suffers from chronic neuropathic pain, for example after chemotherapy. The origin of this pain is within the nervous system itself: damaged nerves continuously send pain signals, even without pain triggers are lacking. As a result, the pain no longer subsides. This is the starting point of the international research project RESOLVE. The consortium is funded with €1.2 million for two years as part of the European ERA-NET-NEURON initiative. Involved researchers from the Medical Faculty of the University Duisburg-Essen receive approximately €350,000 of this funding.
The consortium aims to develop a novel therapeutic approach that specifically targets inflammatory processes to reduce mechanisms that amplify pain while simultaneously promoting regenerative processes within the nervous system. At the center of this strategy are extracellular vesicles (EVs), frequently named exosomes—tiny membrane-bound particles released by virtually all cells. A proportion of these EVs act as natural messengers between cells, enabling a complex and targeted signaling to cells in the near surrounding and at distant sites. Manufactured in the right manner, EV products from specific cells, the mesodermal stem/stromal cells, have the potential to regulate inflammatory responses and restore neuroimmunological homeostasis. Rather than merely alleviating symptoms, the researchers seek to address the underlying biological mechanisms that drive and sustain chronic pain.
At the Essen site, Dr. Fabian Szepanowski from the Department of Neurology at University Hospital Essen and Prof. Dr. Bernd Giebel from the Institute for Transfusion Medicine are leading the project. Dr. Szepanowski has extensive expertise in the investigation of inflammatory processes and regenerative mechanisms in the peripheral nervous system. Prof. Dr. Giebel is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the EV-field. The close integration of neuroimmunological expertise and innovative EV biology provides a unique platform for the development and translation of novel therapeutic strategies into clinical application.
The project, entitled “RESOLVE – Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Tools for Inflammatory Recalibration and Resolution of Chronic Pain,” brings together experts from the United Kingdom (University of Reading), Germany (University Hospital Essen), Lithuania (Centre for Innovative Medicine), Romania (University of Craiova), and Croatia (Labena). By combining complementary research approaches, the consortium addresses the diverse causes of neuropathic pain and integrates findings from experimental models with analyses of patient-derived samples.
Caption: The members of the RESOLVE consortium during the kick-off meeting on March 19, 2026, at the University of Reading (from left to right): Dr. Graeme Cottrell, Dr. Augustas Pivoriūnas, Dr. Fabian Szepanowski, Prof. Dr. Bogdan Catalin, Dr. Maria Maiarù, Prof. Dr. Bernd Giebel, Prof. Dr. Darius Widera, and Dr. Iva Sabolić.
Further information:
Dr. Fabian Szepanowski, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen,fabian.szepanowski@uk-essen.de
Prof. Dr. Bernd Giebel, Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen,bernd.giebel@uk-essen.de
More about the ERA-NET NEURON Initiative: https://www.neuron-eranet.eu
Editorial Department: Martin Rolshoven, +49 201/723-6274,martin.rolshoven@uk-essen.de