A Global Milestone: Highlights from the 2024 World Congress on Pain in Amsterdam

The 2024 World Congress on Pain, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), has just concluded! From August 5-9 in Amsterdam, IASP celebrated its half-century of achievements and looked forward to many more years of impactful collaboration in the fight against pain worldwide.

The Congress brought together more than 6,500 scientists, clinicians, and healthcare providers from across the globe, representing a diverse array of pain disciplines. This congress was particularly special as it marked the 50th Anniversary of IASP, a milestone in the global efforts to advance pain relief and research. Congress featured over 2,500 poster abstract presentations, 100+ exhibitors, 93 topical workshops, 33 pre-congress events, 10 plenary lectures, and two keynote lectures delivered by Nobel Laureates.

This event was of immense importance, especially for our Institute, where two of IF PAN’s departments are actively engaged in pain research. We are proud to announce that Professor Katarzyna Starowicz was an esteemed speaker at this world congress. Her session, „A Translational, Global, and Historical Perspective on Terpenes and Minor Cannabinoids for Pain”, attracted a significant number of participants, highlighting the growing interest in this field. Drawing attention from participants was a considerable challenge as there were many concurrent scientific sessions taking place at the same time.

The session featured the following individual presentations:

– Accelerating Research of Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes Through Multidisciplinary Collaborations – Inna Belfer, NIH Program Official

– Myrcene, a Cannabis Terpene, Modulates Dimensions of Pain in a Preclinical Model – Catherine Cahill, University of California, Los Angeles

– B-Caryophyllene (BCP), a Dietary Cannabinoid Shows Disease-modifying Properties in Osteoarthritis – Katarzyna Starowicz, IF PAN, Kraków

– Human Controlled Studies Investigating the Analgesic Effects of Terpenes and Minor Cannabinoids – Ziva Cooper, University of California, Los Angeles

This session underscored the critical role that minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and spinal cord stimulation play in pain management, and we look forward to continued contributions to these vital fields of study.

Moreover, the Congress featured Keynote Plenary Lectures by the 2021 Nobel Prize Laureates in Physiology or Medicine, David Julius, PhD, and Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, who were recognized for their groundbreaking discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch. These lectures provided a rare and invaluable opportunity for direct conversations with Nobel Laureates. Professor Starowicz had the privilege of engaging in discussions with them, which was particularly meaningful given the profound influence of David Julius’s earlier work on her own research.

It was the seminal work of Zygmunt, P.M., Petersson, J., Andersson, D.A., Chuang, H., Sorgard, M., Di Marzo, V., Julius, D., and Hogestatt, E.D., published in 1999 (Vanilloid receptors on sensory nerves mediate the vasodilator action of anandamide, Nature, 400: 452–457) that laid the groundwork for Professor Starowicz’s research. Since 2005, when she joined Professor Di Marzo’s group for post-doctoral training, she has been investigating the crosstalk between endocannabinoids and endovanilloids, a research avenue significantly inspired by this foundational study (e.g., Starowicz et al., 2007, The Journal of Neuroscience).

In addition to the contributions from Professor Starowicz, the Congress also saw participation from many distinguished scientists, including alumni of IF PAN. Notably, Dr. Ilona Obara, an accomplished researcher and former scientist of our Institute, was a speaker in the session titled „Over 50 Years of Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy for Pain Relief – Where Do We Stand?” We were honored to recently host Dr Obara as part of the “Translational Pain Research: From Lab to Clinic” EFIC Pain School in July this year at our Institute, and we continue to follow her ongoing contributions to the field.

The congress was not only a time for academic exchange but also an opportunity to reconnect with friends working in the field of pain research. It was wonderful to see you all! We managed to carve out time to spend our lunch break together with friends in the Rijksmuseum, admiring the masterpieces of Vermeer and Rembrandt. We left other art pieces for another occasion when we have more time. This time, we only viewed the highlights, but it still provided us with an incredible experience.

The 2024 IASP World Congress on Pain in Amsterdam was widely regarded as an excellent and stimulating event by its participants. The Congress provided an invaluable platform for professionals across various pain disciplines to exchange ideas, learn about the latest research, and collaborate on innovative approaches to pain management. Participants particularly noted the high quality of presentations and the opportunity to connect with leading experts in the field, making it a truly enriching experience.

As we look forward to the future, the excitement continues to build for the next World Congress on Pain, which will take place in 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand! This event promises to be another exceptional gathering, offering further opportunities for collaboration and innovation in the global fight against pain.