Mouse Meninges
Viral vector mediated over-expression of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in dorsal root ganglion neurons (the cell body of pain-sensing neurons) and nerve fibers
Projection from peripheral neurons are stained in red.
Chronic pain affects millions of people and is a leading cause of disability, profoundly impacting quality of life and placing a major burden on patients, families, and society. Despite its prevalence, chronic pain remains difficult to treat, and many available therapies provide insufficient relief or carry significant side effects. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the biological mechanisms that determine why pain resolves normally in some individuals but persists and becomes chronic in others.
Pain is ultimately encoded by the nervous system, but sensory neurons do not function in isolation. They continuously communicate with immune cells and connective tissues. Immune cells release cytokines, neuroactive mediators, and other signals that can profoundly alter sensory neuron activity. Traditionally, these interactions have been studied primarily for their ability to promote inflammation and pain. Our research challenges this one-sided view. Our work demonstrates that the immune system is also essential for turning pain off. Rather than viewing pain resolution simply as the disappearance of inflammation, we study it as an active biological process involving coordinated communication between immune cells and sensory neurons. Our work has identified important roles for multiple immune populations: including T cells, monocytes, macrophages, mast cells, and neutrophils, in determining the duration of pain and promoting its resolution.
We investigate how peripheral sensory neurons and immune cells communicate during pain, inflammation, and recovery. We seek to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that determine whether acute pain resolves or transitions to chronic pain. Our research spans inflammatory, injury, and postoperative pain, migraine, and other conditions in which neuroimmune communication contributes to disease. By identifying endogenous mechanisms that naturally terminate pain, our long-term goal is to uncover new therapeutic strategies that promote recovery rather than simply suppress symptoms. We combine neuroscience and immunology with molecular biology, advanced imaging, transgenic models, single-cell and spatial approaches, and collaborations with clinicians and human researchers to translate mechanistic discoveries toward human disease. We are equally committed to training the next generation of scientists and creating an environment in which trainees with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences can thrive. We believe that scientific excellence benefits from collaboration and rigorous discussion.
Geoffroy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and the Neuroscience program at Michigan State University. Geoffroy is interested in the contribution of Neuro-Immune interactions to chronic pain development and resolution. He received his PhD degree from the Pasteur Institute / University of Lille in France. He moved to the US to perform his postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center under the mentorship of Drs. Hui-Lin Pan, Jean-Pierre Issa, Cobi Heijnen, Robert Danzter, and Annemieke Kavelaars. In addition to research, Geoffroy likes exploring nature, spending family time, and read about European middle ages.
Principal Investigator
Red Cedar Distinguished Professor
Email: laumetge@msu.edu
Jonathon received his B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife and his M.S. in Integrative Pharmacology from Michigan State University. He has supported MSU research for 19 years as a Research Assistant in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and then the Department of Physiology. Jonathon joined the lab in August 2026. He manages the lab, supports everyone's research, and keeps the lab in compliance. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and woodworking.
Dr Hui Xu is a research faculty member. She received her PhD from Kagawa Medical University in Japan. She worked in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Michigan State University for 25 years. Her research has focused on the autonomic nervous system, molecular signaling, and receptor/ion channel interactions in the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system, and how these factors contribute to human disease, such as septic shock, obesity/metabolic disorders, hypertension, renal inflammation/remodeling and fibrosis, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s associated gastrointestinal dysmotility. She joined Dr. Laumet lab in March 2025.
Sabrina received a PhD in immunology at the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. She joined the Laumet in February 2022 to investigate the role of immune cells on pain and the contribution of sensory neurons to immunoregulation. In addition to Research, Sabrina mentors undergraduate and junior graduate students in the lab.
Aaryn received her B.S. in biology from Spelman College. She came to MSU to pursue her Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology and joined the lab in January 2024. She is interested in researching how neurons mediate pain via the release of extracellular vesicles. In her free time, Aaryn enjoys reading, painting, and baking.
Alex graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience and Spanish. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience and joined the Laumet lab in January of 2024 with an interest in investigating the physiological mechanisms that influence migraine pain. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, travelling, and hanging out with her cat, Caboose.
Gayoung earned a B.S. in Biomolecular Science with a minor in Medical Anthropology from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor in 2023. As a DO/PhD student at MSU in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology program, she balances laboratory research and medical school over an eight-year program. In January 2025, she joined the Laumet lab to study the role of TRPV1+ neurons in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. In her free time, Gayoung enjoys reading the Bible, playing the piano and violin, cooking, and spending time with dogs.
Sophie received her B.S. degree from the University of Lille in France. She assists with the management of the mouse colony, ordering, behavioral testing, injections, tissue collections, and lab organization. Sophie enjoys running, baking and cooking.
Dashiell Jones is an undergraduate studying neuroscience through the College of Natural Science and the Honors College. He joined the lab through a professorial assistantship. He studies IL10's role in pain resolution. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school. Dash is a member of the Big10 champion MSU water polo team and a long-distance freestyle swimmer on the MSU swim team.
Rhianna is an undergraduate student at MSU studying Physiology and Neuroscience. After undergrad, she plans to obtain a higher degree and contribute to research on neurological diseases. In her free time, she loves to crochet, make jewelry, dance, and is a member of the Spartan Marching Band
The Effects of Small Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis Inhibitors and Plasma-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles on Nociception in Mice. Edwards AM, Jones DR, Laumet G. J Pain Res. 2026 Aug 13;19:604483. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S604483. PMID: 42609786; PMCID: PMC13480394.
Restraint stress prolongs Diestrus phase of mouse Estrous cycle. Urbain GR, Chapman AD, Van Loh BM, Folger JK, Laumet G. Oxf Open Neurosci. 2026 Mar 18;5:kvag002. doi: 10.1093/oons/kvag002. PMID: 42004527; PMCID: PMC13089459.
Closing in on the causes of chronic neuropathic pain. Laumet G. Elife. 2026 Mar 18;15:e111218. doi: 10.7554/eLife.111218. PMID: 41849200; PMCID: PMC12999170.
C-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CCL12) is a critical chemokine driving postoperative pain. de Souza S, Hua H, Laumet S, Sim J, Vanacker C, Bavencoffe A, Laumet G. Pain. 2026 May 1;167(5):1098-1109. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003936. Epub 2026 Feb 27. PMID: 41800753; PMCID: PMC13213411.
Monocyte-derived IL-10 drives sex differences in pain duration. Sim J, O'Guin E, Sugimoto C, Laumet S, Monahan K, Bernard MP, McLean SA, Albertorio-Sáez LM, Zhao Y, Ramakrishnan H, de Souza S, Eller OC, Smoyer CJ, Baumbauer KM, Mack M, Folger JK, Robison AJ, Linnstaedt SD, Laumet G. Sci Immunol. 2026 Feb 20;11(116):eadx0292. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adx0292. Epub 2026 Feb 20. PMID: 41719383; PMCID: PMC13198883.
Unexpected Role of TNFα Signaling in the Resolution of Postoperative Pain in Mice. Laumet S, Edwards AM, Inyang KE, Laumet G. J Pain Res. 2025 Nov 12;18:6057-6063. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S543971. PMID: 41257213; PMCID: PMC12620509.
Mast cell-derived chymases are essential for the resolution of inflammatory pain in mice. de Souza S, Laumet S, Sim J, Inyang KE, Folger JK, Hua H, Moeser AJ, Laumet G. Pain. 2025 Mar 4. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003565. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40035664.
Upregulation of delta opioid receptor by meningeal interleukin-10 prevents relapsing pain. Inyang KE, Sim J, Clark KB, Geron M, Monahan K, Evans C, O'Connell P, Laumet S, Peng B, Ma J, Heijnen CJ, Dantzer R, Scherrer G, Kavelaars A, Bernard M, Aldhamen YA, Folger JK, Bavencoffe A, Laumet G. Brain Behav Immun. 2025 Jan;123:399-410. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.09.031. Epub 2024 Sep 29. PMID: 39349285; PMCID: PMC11624093.
Neurotensin-expressing lateral hypothalamic neurons alleviate neuropathic and inflammatory pain via neurotensin receptor signaling. Khan R, Lee B, Inyang K, Bemis H, Bugescu R, Laumet G, Leinninger G. Neurobiol Pain. 2024 Oct 19;16:100172. doi: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2024.100172. PMID: 39524478; PMCID: PMC11550133.
Hungry for relief: Potential for neurotensin to address comorbid obesity and pain. Khan R, Laumet G, Leinninger GM. Appetite. 2024 Sep 1;200:107540. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107540. Epub 2024 Jun 7. PMID: 38852785.
Interleukin-10 signaling in somatosensory neurons controls CCL2 release and inflammatory response. de Souza S, Rosario Claudio J, Sim J, Inyang KE, Dagenais A, Monahan K, Lee B, Ramakrishnan H, Parmar V, Geron M, Scherrer G, Folger JK, Laumet G. Brain Behav Immun. 2024 Feb;116:193-202. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.013. Epub 2023 Dec 9. PMID: 38081433; PMCID: PMC10843623.
Massage-like stroking produces analgesia in mice. Waarala ZMS, Comins L, Laumet S, Folger JK, Laumet G. Neurobiol Pain. 2023 Dec 24;15:100149. doi: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100149. PMID: 38226332; PMCID: PMC10788302.
Peripheral somatosensory neurons listen and orchestrate the immune response. Laumet G. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023 Nov 22:S0091-6749(23)01479-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.11.014. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37995857.
A peptidomimetic modulator of the CaV2.2 N-type calcium channel for chronic pain. Gomez K, Santiago U, Nelson TS, Allen HN, Calderon-Rivera A, Hestehave S, Rodríguez Palma EJ, Zhou Y, Duran P, Loya-Lopez S, Zhu E, Kumar U, Shields R, Koseli E, McKiver B, Giuvelis D, Zuo W, Inyang KE, Dorame A, Chefdeville A, Ran D, Perez-Miller S, Lu Y, Liu X, Handoko, Arora PS, Patek M, Moutal A, Khanna M, Hu H, Laumet G, King T, Wang J, Damaj MI, Korczeniewska OA, Camacho CJ, Khanna R. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Nov 21;120(47):e2305215120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2305215120. Epub 2023 Nov 16. PMID: 37972067; PMCID: PMC10666126.
HPV+ head and neck cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles communicate with TRPV1+ neurons to mediate cancer pain. Inyang KE, Evans CM, Heussner M, Petroff M, Reimers M, Vermeer PD, Tykocki N, Folger JK, Laumet G Pain. 2023 Sep 6. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003045. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37678566.
Istradefylline protects from cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and peripheral neuropathy while preserving cisplatin antitumor effects. Dewaeles E, Carvalho K, Fellah S, Sim J, Boukrout N, Caillierez R, Ramakrishnan H, Van der Hauwaert C, Vijaya Shankara J, Martin N, Massri N, Launay A, Folger JK, de Schutter C, Larrue R, Loison I, Goujon M, Jung M, Le Gras S, Gomez-Murcia V, Faivre E, Lemaire J, Garat A, Beauval N, Maboudou P, Gnemmi V, Gibier JB, Buée L, Abbadie C, Glowacki F, Pottier N, Perrais M, Cunha RA, Annicotte JS, Laumet G, Blum D, Cauffiez C. J Clin Invest. 2022 Nov 15;132(22):e152924. doi: 10.1172/JCI152924.
T-cell activation state differentially contributes to neuropsychiatric complications in women with HIV. Williams DW, Flores BR, Xu Y, Wang Y, Yu D, Peters BA, Adedimeji A, Wilson TE, Merenstein D, Tien PC, Cohen MH, Weber KM, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Fischl M, Turan J, Turan B, Laumet G, Landay AL, Dastgheyb RM, Gange SJ, Weiser SD, Rubin LH. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2022 Aug 29;25:100498. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100498. eCollection 2022 Nov.
Infiltration of peripheral immune cells into the olfactory bulb in a mouse model of acute nasal inflammation. Asano H, Hasegawa-Ishii S, Arae K, Obara A, Laumet G, Dantzer R, Shimada A. J Neuroimmunol. 2022 Jul 15;368:577897. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2022.577897. Epub 2022 May 23.
CD8+ T cell-derived IL-13 increases macrophage IL-10 to resolve neuropathic pain. Singh SK, Krukowski K, Laumet GO, Weis D, Alexander JF, Heijnen CJ, Kavelaars A. JCI Insight. 2022 Mar 8;7(5):e154194. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.154194.
Prdm12 modulates pain-related behavior by remodeling gene expression in mature nociceptors. Latragna A, Sabaté San José A, Tsimpos P, Vermeiren S, Gualdani R, Chakrabarti S, Callejo G, Desiderio S, Shomroni O, Sitte M, Kricha S, Luypaert M, Vanhollebeke B, Laumet G, Salinas G, Smith ESJ, Ris L, Bellefroid EJ. Pain. 2022 Aug 1;163(8):e927-e941. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002536. Epub 2021 Dec 24.
Effects of placebo administration on immune mechanisms and relationships with central endogenous opioid neurotransmission. Prossin A, Koch A, Campbell P, Laumet G, Stohler CS, Dantzer R, Zubieta JK. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Feb;27(2):831-839. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01365-x. Epub 2021 Oct 29.
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