Microglia and neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a serious consequence of injury or disease in the nervous system itself. Current treatment options for this condition are often unsatisfactory. From being originally viewed as a diseased caused by neuronal dysfunction, a growing body of evidence implicate activated microglia as a key player in the development of this pain condition. In this review, some of the evidence for this proposal is briefly discussed and placed in a translational context, pointing out the difficulties in translating commonly used animal models of neuropathic pain to the clinical condition, as well as emphasizing the broader role of activated microglia in the injured or diseased nervous system.