The Challenge of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists or recurs for more than three months. It can arise from many different conditions, including inflammatory diseases, nerve damage, surgery, infections, or complex syndromes such as fibromyalgia.
Unlike acute pain, chronic pain is not only a symptom but often becomes a complex disease involving multiple biological systems.
Research increasingly shows that chronic pain results from the interaction of:
- biological mechanisms
- psychological factors
- immune and inflammatory responses social and environmental influences
This complexity requires multidisciplinary approaches, combining clinical expertise with cutting-edge scientific research.
Recent health crises such as COVID-19 have further highlighted the urgent need to better understand how infections, inflammation and immune responses can contribute to persistent pain syndromes.
OUR MISSION
PAC-MAN was created to build a global multidisciplinary platform dedicated to advancing knowledge and innovation in chronic pain.
Our mission is to:
- Improve the scientific understanding of chronic pain mechanisms
- Identify new biomarkers and diagnostic tools
- Promote the development of innovative therapeutic strategies
- Support collaboration between clinicians, scientists, and industry
- Increase public awareness and education about chronic pain conditions
By connecting expertise across disciplines, PAC-MAN aims to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into better patient care and more effective treatments.
OUR APPROACH
CLINICAL RESEARCH
Clinicians and pain specialists investigate the clinical characteristics and progression of chronic pain across different patient populations.
MOLECULAR AND GENETIC RESEARCH
Advanced approaches such as genomics and glycomics are used to identify biomarkers and understand the biological mechanisms underlying chronic pain.
INNOVATIVE THERAPEUTICS
Researchers explore new therapeutic strategies, including nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery systems and innovative pharmacological approaches.
EDUCATION AND KNOWLOEDGE SHARING
A Global Collaborative Network
PAC-MAN brings together an international consortium of universities, hospitals, research institutes, biotechnology companies and scientific organizations.
This collaborative ecosystem allows PAC-MAN to address chronic pain from multiple perspectives — from basic science to clinical care and healthcare policy.
IRCCS SAN RAFFAELE - ITALY
McGill University - Canada
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos - Spain
University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand - France
James Cook University Hospital – United Kingdom
Aalborg University - Denmark
Heidelberg University Hospital – Germany
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Università Magna Graecia – Italy
Looking Ahead
Our long-term goal is to establish PAC-MAN as a reference platform for multidisciplinary research and collaboration on chronic pain.
Through international partnerships, scientific dissemination and educational initiatives, we aim to contribute to a future in which chronic pain is better understood, better managed and more effectively treated, improving the lives of patients worldwide.
Scientific Publications
PAC-MAN members actively contribute to international research on chronic pain through peer-reviewed publications and collaborative studies.