Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Chronic Post-Ischemia Pain Model for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-I in Rats
07:12

Chronic Post-Ischemia Pain Model for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-I in Rats

Published on: January 21, 2020

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases in pain of peripheral origin

John P M White1, Mario Cibelli, Antonio Rei Fidalgo

  • 1Section of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369, Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom.

European Journal of Pharmacology
|October 19, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Understanding ERK pathways is vital for pain research and developing new pain management strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) are involved in pain signaling.
  • ERK activation is linked to inflammatory pain conditions like herniated disc and bladder inflammation.
  • ERKs are implicated in neuropathic pain models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of ERKs in pain.
  • To explain the intracellular context of ERK function.
  • To discuss ERK involvement in nociceptive signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on ERKs and pain.
  • Discussion of intracellular signaling pathways.
  • Analysis of ERK's role in peripheral nociception.

Main Results:

  • ERK activation is a key factor in various pain states.
  • ERKs serve as experimental markers for nociceptive processing.
  • ERK pathways mediate the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Conclusions:

  • ERKs are critical mediators of pain signaling from the periphery to the brain.
  • Awareness of ERK importance is essential for pain researchers.
  • Further investigation into ERK pathways may yield novel pain therapeutics.

Related Concept Videos

Nociception01:44

Nociception

Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
MAPK Signaling Cascades01:07

MAPK Signaling Cascades

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
Opioid Receptors: Overview01:22

Opioid Receptors: Overview

Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]-enkephalin or DPDPE for...
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade01:22

Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade

When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor's intracellular domain changes shape, which may either activate its enzyme function or allow its binding to other molecules. The initial signal is amplified by most signal transduction pathways. This means that a single ligand molecule can activate multiple molecules of a downstream target. Proteins that relay a signal are most commonly phosphorylated at one or more sites, activating or inactivating the protein. Kinases catalyze the...