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MicroRNA and chronic pain: From mechanisms to therapeutic potential

María José López-González1, Marc Landry1, Alexandre Favereaux1

  • 1Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bordeaux, France.

Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|June 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression and neuronal plasticity, offering a novel approach to chronic pain management. Research into miRNA-based analgesics and personalized therapies shows promise for improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Chronic pain affects 20-25% of the global population, significantly impacting daily life and necessitating improved treatments.
  • Current analgesics offer limited relief for many chronic pain patients, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as crucial regulators of gene expression in the nervous system, implicated in neuronal plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of miRNAs in chronic pain mechanisms.
  • To explore the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for patient categorization and personalized pain therapy.
  • To examine strategies for developing miRNA-based analgesics and their clinical applications.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies on chronic pain-related miRNAs in animal models and human patients.
  • Analysis of miRNA expression patterns and their correlation with pain variability.
  • Investigation of current strategies for miRNA-based therapeutic development and clinical trials.

Main Results:

  • miRNA involvement in maladaptive plasticity mechanisms underlying chronic pain is well-documented.
  • Clinical studies indicate that miRNA expression profiles may help stratify patients, enabling personalized pain management.
  • Various strategies for designing miRNA-based analgesics are under investigation.

Conclusions:

  • miRNAs represent a significant area of research for understanding and managing chronic pain.
  • miRNA-based approaches hold potential for developing targeted analgesics and personalized therapies for chronic pain.
  • Ongoing clinical trials suggest miRNAs could become a valuable therapeutic tool for chronic pain patients.
Keywords:
BiomarkerInflammationMicroRNANeuropathic painPainTreatment

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