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Transgenic studies of pain
Jeffrey S Mogil1, Judith E Grisel
1Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 East Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA Department of Psychology, Furman University, Greenville, SC 29613, USA.
Pain
|October 10, 1998
Summary
Transgenic mice allow gene-level pain research, offering insights into nociception and analgesia. This genetic approach provides confirmatory, contradictory, and novel findings compared to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Molecular biological technologies enable the study of pain at the genetic level.
- Transgenic mice, which overexpress or lack specific proteins, are a key tool in this research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review findings from studies using transgenic mice to assess nociceptive and analgesic sensitivity.
- To discuss the advantages and limitations of using transgenic mice in pain research.
Main Methods:
- Review of investigations involving transgenic mice engineered to lack or overexpress specific genes related to pain pathways.
- Assessment of nociceptive and analgesic sensitivity using behavioral assays in mutant mice.
- Analysis of 25 different types of mutant mice, targeting neurotrophins, receptors, mediators of nociception, opioids, and signal transduction molecules.
Main Results:
- Studies using transgenic mice have yielded results that are sometimes confirmatory, sometimes contradictory, and often enlightening when compared to conventional pain research methods.
- The genetic manipulation of pain-related proteins in mice has provided valuable data on their roles in nociception.
Conclusions:
- Transgenic mouse models represent a significant advancement in understanding the genetic basis of pain.
- This approach offers unique advantages and limitations that must be considered in pain research, contributing to a deeper understanding of nociception and analgesia.