Astrocytes in Chronic Pain: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms.
10.1007/s12264-022-00961-3
- Author:
Huan-Jun LU
1
;
Yong-Jing GAO
2
Author Information
1. Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
2. Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China. gaoyongjing@ntu.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Astrocyte;
Chronic pain;
Microglia;
Neuron-glia interaction;
Spinal cord
- MeSH:
Humans;
Astrocytes/pathology*;
Chronic Pain/pathology*;
Neuroglia/physiology*;
Neurons/physiology*;
Synaptic Transmission;
Chronic Disease
- From:
Neuroscience Bulletin
2023;39(3):425-439
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Chronic pain is challenging to treat due to the limited therapeutic options and adverse side-effects of therapies. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system and play important roles in different pathological conditions, including chronic pain. Astrocytes regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission and network function via neuron-glia and glia-glia interactions to exaggerate pain signals under chronic pain conditions. It is also becoming clear that astrocytes play active roles in brain regions important for the emotional and memory-related aspects of chronic pain. Therefore, this review presents our current understanding of the roles of astrocytes in chronic pain, how they regulate nociceptive responses, and their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action.
