Chen, C.* & Scherrer, G. (2026). Placebo pain relief: Mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology. *Corresponding author
Chen, C., Niehaus, J. K., Dinc, F., Huang, K. L., Barnette, A. L., Tassou, A., Shuster, S. A., Wang, L., Lemire, A., Menon, V., Ritola, K., Hantman, A., Zeng, H., Schnitzer, M. J., & Scherrer, G. (2024). Neural circuit basis of placebo pain relief. Nature, 632(8027), 1092–1100.
Selected Press Coverage:
Nature: How do placebos ease pain? Mouse brain study offers clues
PNAS: Seeking the roots of the placebo effect, neuroscientists find the brain circuit that delivers relief
NIH Director’s Blog: Study Identifies Previously Unknown Pain Control Pathway Underlying Placebo Effect
Migraine Science Collaborative: A Newly Discovered Neural Circuit for Placebo Pain Relief
NeurologyToday: Novel Brain Circuit Underlies Placebo Pain Relief in Animal Model
Chen, J.*, Kaufmann, W.*, Chen, C., Arai, I., Kim, O., Shigemoto, R., Jonas, P. (2024). Developmental transformation of Ca2+ channel-vesicle nanotopography at a central GABAergic synapse. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.002 *Equal contribution
Chen, C.*, Tassou, A., Morales, V., & Scherrer, G.* (2023). Graph theory analysis reveals an assortative pain network vulnerable to attacks. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 21985. *Corresponding author
Li, S.-B.*, Damonte, V. M.*, Chen, C., Wang, G. X., Kebschull, J. M., Yamaguchi, H., Bian, W.-J., Purmann, C., Pattni, R., Urban, A. E., Mourrain, P., Kauer, J. A., Scherrer, G., & de Lecea, L. (2022). Hyperexcitable arousal circuits drive sleep instability during aging. Science, 375(6583), eabh3021. * Equal contribution
Mercer Lindsay, N., Chen, C., Gilam, G., Mackey, S., & Scherrer, G. (2021). Brain circuits for pain and its treatment. Science Translational Medicine, 13(619), eabj7360.
Chen, C., Satterfield, R., Young, S. M., Jr, & Jonas, P. (2017). Triple Function of Synaptotagmin 7 Ensures Efficiency of High-Frequency Transmission at Central GABAergic Synapses. Cell Reports, 21(8), 2082–2089.
Chen, C., & Jonas, P. (2017).Synaptotagmins: That’s Why So Many. Neuron, 94(4), 694–696.
Chen, C., Arai, I., Satterfield, R., Young, S. M., Jr, & Jonas, P. (2017). Synaptotagmin 2 Is the Fast Ca2+ Sensor at a Central Inhibitory Synapse. Cell Reports, 18(3), 723–736.
Shen, F.-Y., Chen, Z.-Y., Zhong, W., Ma, L.-Q., Chen, C., Yang, Z.-J., Xie, W.-L., & Wang, Y.-W. (2015). Alleviation of neuropathic pain by regulating T-type calcium channels in rat anterior cingulate cortex. Molecular Pain, 11, 7.
Chen, C., Shen, F.-Y., Zhao, X., Zhou, T., Xu, D.-J., Wang, Z.-R., & Wang, Y.-W. (2015).Low-dose sevoflurane promotes hippocampal neurogenesis and facilitates the development of dentate gyrus-dependent learning in neonatal rats. ASN Neuro, 7(2).