Papers: 18 Nov 2023 - 24 Nov 2023

Electrically activating mechanoreceptive afferents inhibits pain. However, paresthesia evoked by spinal cord stimulation (SCS) at 40-60 Hz becomes uncomfortable at high pulse amplitudes, limiting SCS “dosage.” Kilohertz-frequency SCS produces analgesia without […]

Transmembrane Ca2.2 (N-type) voltage-gated calcium channels are genetically and pharmacologically validated, clinically relevant pain targets. Clinical block of Ca2.2 (e.g., with Prialt/Ziconotide) or indirect modulation [e.g., with gabapentinoids such as […]

Chronic opioid exposure induces tolerance to the pain-relieving effects of opioids but sensitization to some other effects. While the occurrence of these adaptations is well-understood, the underlying cellular mechanisms are […]

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that evokes a desire to scratch. The skin barrier is constantly exposed to microbes and their products. However, the role of microbes in itch generation […]

Despite the high prevalence of peripheral neuropathic pain (NP) conditions and significant progress in understanding its underlying mechanisms, the management of peripheral NP remains inadequate. Existing pharmacotherapies for NP act […]

Ubrogepant is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist that is approved for acute treatment of migraine. The prodrome is the earliest phase of a migraine attack and is characterised […]

Inflammation in the intestines causes abdominal pain that is challenging to manage. The terminals of sensory neurons innervating the gut are surrounded by glia. Here, using a mouse model of […]

Informing patients about potential side effects of pain treatment is a requirement that protects patients and aids decision making, but it increases the likelihood of unwanted nocebo side effects. If […]

The past 20 years have seen a dramatic shift in our understanding of the role of the immune system in initiating and maintaining pain. Myeloid cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, […]

The molecular processes driving the transition from acute to chronic low back pain (LBP) remain poorly understood and are likely to be sexually dimorphic. This study aimed to explore sex-differences […]

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects approximately 30%-60% of people who receive neurotoxic chemotherapy. CIPN is associated with impaired quality of life and function and has few effective treatments. This 6-site, […]

In the peripheral nervous system, spontaneous activity in sensory neurons is considered to be one of the 2 main drivers of chronic pain states, alongside neuronal sensitization. Despite this, the […]

Opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) is increasingly being adopted to reduce opioid consumption, but its impact on early postoperative recovery following major surgery has not been evaluated in comparative trials. We hypothesized […]

To examine trends in diagnosis of headache and migraine in a large pediatric neurology cohort, and test whether an electronic health record (EHR)-integrated headache questionnaire can increase specificity of diagnosis […]

The MAS-related genes (also known as MRGPRs) are a complex family of G protein-coupled receptors initially discovered in sensory neurons. Most of them are orphans, which means that they have […]

In the short term, parental presence while a human infant is in pain buffers the immediate pain responses, although emerging evidence suggests repeated social buffering of pain may have untoward […]

Chronic pain has been extensively explored as a risk factor for opioid misuse, resulting in increased focus on opioid prescribing practices for individuals with such conditions. Physical disability sometimes co-occurs […]

Why only half of the idiopathic peripheral polyneuropathy (IPN) patients develop neuropathic pain is unknown. By conducting a proteomics analysis on IPN patients, we aimed to discover proteins and new […]

Abrocitinib efficacy by comorbidity status in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been previously assessed. This post hoc analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of abrocitinib in patients […]

The Tac4 gene-derived hemokinin-1 (HK-1) binds to the NK1 receptor, similarly to Substance P, and plays a role in acute stress reactions and pain transmission in mice. Here we investigated […]

Itch is a common symptom that can greatly diminish quality of life. Histamine is a potent endogenous pruritogen, and while antihistamines are often the first-line treatment for itch, in conditions […]

Itch exacerbates infection and inflammation-associated skin pathology. In this issue of Cell, Deng et al. identify a V8 protease released by Staphylococcus aureus triggering itch via neuronal protease-activated receptor 1. In […]

Neuron navigators are microtubule plus-end tracking proteins containing basic and serine rich regions which are encoded by neuron navigator genes (NAVs). Neuron navigator proteins are essential for neurite outgrowth, neuronal […]

Recent studies have shown that the epigenetic protein histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) is highly expressed in the brain and critically modulates neuroimmune functions, making it a potential therapeutic target for […]

Ninety-Hz active-recharge spinal cord stimulation (SCS) applied at below sensory-threshold intensity, as used with fast-acting subperception therapy spinal cord stimulation, has been shown clinically to produce significant analgesia, but additional […]

The neurohormone melatonin (MLT) demonstrates promising potential in ameliorating neuropathic pain induced by paclitaxel (PTX) chemotherapy. However, little is known about its protective effect on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons […]

Chronic painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling physical health condition. Alterations in brain responses to arthritic changes in the knee may explain persistent pain. This study investigated source localised, […]

Social interactions with subjects experiencing pain can increase nociceptive sensitivity in observers, even without direct physical contact. In previous experiments, extended indirect exposure to soiled bedding from mice with alcohol […]

People with chronic pain are frequently exposed to stigma, which is typically distressing and may lead to internal stigmatizing thoughts. The thought content associated with stigma has similarities to pain […]

Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, manifests with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and mucopurulent feces. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ANRIL exhibits significantly reduced expression in UC, yet […]

The magnitude of placebo effects from physical and psychological ‘sham’ is unknown but could impact efficacy trials and treatment understanding. To quantify placebo effects, this systematic review of three-armed randomised […]

Spinal astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation is an important mechanism for the maintenance of chronic inflammatory pain. Previous studies have investigated that Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) is closely related to […]

The µ opioid receptor (MOR) is the key target for analgesia, but the application of opioids is accompanied by several issues. There is a wide range of opioid analgesics, differing […]

Neuropathic pain (NP) is often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities and currently lacks effective treatment. Prior research has shown that HDAC6 plays a crucial role in pain sensitization, but the specific […]

Chronic pain is one of the most devastating and unpleasant conditions, associated with many pathological states. Tissue or nerve injuries induce extensive neurobiological plasticity in nociceptive neurons, which leads to […]

Galcanezumab has shown efficacy and effectiveness in the treatment of episodic and chronic migraine (CM), however, the population represented in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) differs from the population observed in […]

Chronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain profoundly affects patients’ quality of life. Trigeminal tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) plays a pivotal role in mediating TMJ pain in mice, yet the underlying epigenetic […]

Research on myofascial temporomandibular disorder (mTMD) has often focused on potential dysfunction in endogenous pain modulation. However, studies on the specific inhibitory and facilitatory components of endogenous pain modulation using […]

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to relieve various symptoms such as headache, arthralgia, and dental pain. While the primary mechanism of NSAID-based pain relief is the inhibition of […]

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors are expected to exhibit efficacy against inflammatory diseases due to their broad pharmacological activity. The launched PDE4 inhibitors apremilast, crisaborole, and roflumilast have not exhibited sufficient […]

The thermal grill illusion (TGI) describes a peculiar or even painful percept caused by non-noxious, interlaced warm and cold stimuli. It involves the glutamatergic system and is affected in putatively […]

Nerve growth factor β (β-NGF) is a protein which is important to the development of neurons particularly those involved in the transmission of pain and is central to the experience […]

In people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (pwRRMS), data from studies on non-pharmacological factors which may influence relapse risk, other than age, are inconsistent. There is a reduced risk of relapses […]

-Acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) is an enzyme whose deficiency is related to the lysosomal storage disease Morquio A. For the development of effective therapeutic approaches against this disease, the design of suitable […]

Trigeminal inflammatory pain is one of the most severe pain-related disorders in humans; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the possible contribution of interaction […]

Although microglia are associated with chronic pain, the role of spinal microglia in the regulation of itch remains unclear. In this study, we characterized spinal microglial activation in a mouse […]

Buprenorphine is effective for the treatment of opioid use disorder and chronic pain, has a safer pharmacological profile than full-mu opioid agonists, and can now be prescribed by any U.S. […]

Chronic back pain in employees compromises participation in social and daily activities, as well as work.

Anethole is the main compound of the essential oil of anise and several other plants, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Oxidative stress is considered as an important factor […]

FLT3 is mainly expressed in immune and various cancer cells and is a drug target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recently, FLT3 has also been identified as a potential target […]

Resolvin D2 (RvD2), an endogenous lipid mediator derived from docosahexaenoic acid, has been demonstrated to have analgesic effects. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying RvD2 in pain relief. […]

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common chronic musculoskeletal disease that causes chronic low back pain and imposes an immense financial strain on patients. The pathological mechanisms underlying IVDD have […]

Some fibromyalgia (FM) patients engage in rumination (i.e. a chain of repetitive, passive and relatively uncontrollable thoughts focused on negative content) to cope with the pain and discomfort of daily […]

Endomorphins (EMs) have shown great promise as pharmaceutics for the treatment of pain. We have previously confirmed that novel EM analogs CEMR-1 and CEMR-2 behaved as potent μ-opioid receptor agonists […]

Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the association of the cognitive control network (CCN) with the maintenance of chronic pain. However, whether and how dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a key region within […]

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) acts via 13 different receptors in humans. Of these receptor subtypes, all but 5-HT R have confirmed roles in native tissue and are validated drug targets. Despite […]