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The Complement System in Neuropathic and Postoperative Pain
David C Fritzinger1, Daniel E Benjamin1
1Cascade Biotechnology, 9 Deer Park Drive, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, USA.
The Open Pain Journal
|February 4, 2017
Summary
Certain pain conditions, like neuropathic pain, are difficult to treat. Targeting the complement system, a part of the immune system, may offer new therapeutic options for inflammatory pain.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neuropathic and postsurgical pain affect millions, representing significant unmet medical needs.
- Current pain therapies are often ineffective for these conditions.
- The complement system plays a crucial role in initiating and sustaining inflammatory pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the complement system's role in pain.
- To identify potential drug targets within the complement system for pain management.
Main Methods:
- Review of original investigations on the complement system and pain.
- Analysis of the complement system's involvement in inflammatory pain pathways.
Main Results:
- The complement system is implicated in both neuropathic and postsurgical pain.
- Specific components of the complement system present viable drug targets.
Conclusions:
- Inhibiting the complement system offers a promising therapeutic strategy for difficult-to-treat pain.
- Complement-targeted drugs could address current gaps in pain management.
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