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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Intracranial Pharmacotherapy and Pain Assays in Rodents
Published on: April 9, 2019
PI3K/Akt Pathway: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Chronic Pain
Shu-Ping Chen1, Ya-Qun Zhou1, Dai-Qiang Liu2
1Anesthesiology Institute, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan. China.
Abstract:
Chronic pain is among the most disabling and costly disorders, with prevalence ranging from 10% to 55%. However, current therapeutic strategies for chronic pain are unsatisfactory due to our poor understanding of its mechanisms. Thus, novel therapeutic targets need to be found in order to improve these patients' quality of life. PI3K and its downstream Akt are widely expressed in the spinal cord, particularly in the laminae I-IV of the dorsal horn, where nociceptive C and Aδ fibers of primary afferents principally terminate. Recent studies have demonstrated their critical roles in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. In this review, we summarized the roles and mechanisms of PI3K/Akt pathway in the progression of chronic pain through sciatic nerve injury, diabetic neuropathy, spinal cord injury, bone cancer, opioid tolerance, or opioid-induced hyperalgesia.
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