Mol Pain
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Chronic pain has detrimental effects on one's quality of life. However, its treatment options are very limited, and its underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. Recent research has suggested that fragile X mental retardation protein is involved in the development of chronic pain, making it a potential target for prevention and treatment. The current review of literature will examine the function of fragile X mental retardation protein and its associated pathways, through which we hope to gain insight into how fragile X mental retardation protein may contribute to nociceptive sensitization and chronic pain.
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Schwann cells are components of the peripheral nerve myelin sheath, which supports and nourishes axons. Upon injury of the trigeminal nerve, Schwann cells are activated and cause trigeminal neuralgia by engulfing the myelin sheath and secreting various neurotrophic factors. ⋯ Here, we briefly describe the development and activation of Schwann cells after nerve injury. Moreover, we expound on the occurrence, regulation, and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia; further, we point out the current research deficiencies and future research directions.
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Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects roughly a third to a half of the world's population. Despite its substantial effect on society, treatment for chronic pain is modest, at best, notwithstanding its side effects. Hence, novel therapeutics are direly needed. ⋯ In addition, we discuss how endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial impairment, and calcium dyshomeostasis are implicated in various models of neuropathic pain. We propose a novel framework of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria signaling in mediating pain hypersensitivity. These observations require further investigation in order to develop novel therapies for chronic pain.
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The evolution of therapeutics for and management of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection has shifted it from predominately manifesting as a severe, acute disease with high mortality to a chronic, controlled infection with a near typical life expectancy. However, despite extensive use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the prevalence of chronic widespread pain in people with HIV remains high even in those with a low viral load and high CD4 count. Chronic widespread pain is a common comorbidity of HIV infection and is associated with decreased quality of life and a high rate of disability. ⋯ The specific mechanisms underlying these three broad categories that contribute to chronic widespread pain are not well understood, hindering the development and application of pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to mitigate chronic widespread pain. The consequent insufficiencies in clinical approaches to alleviation of chronic pain in people with HIV contribute to an overreliance on opioids and alarming rise in active addiction and overdose. This article reviews the current understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic widespread pain in people with HIV and identifies potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to mitigate it.