Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingjing Zhang, Lina Rong, Jinping Shao, Yidan Zhang, Yaping Liu, Sen Zhao, Lei Li, Wenli Yu, Mengya Zhang, Xiuhua Ren, Qingzan Zhao, Changlian Zhu, Huan Luo, Weidong Zang, Jing Cao
Summary: The study demonstrates that miR-137-mediated Kv1.2 impairment plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain, suggesting it as a novel potential therapeutic target for neuropathic pain management.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Qi Chen, Xi-Yin Zhang, Yu-Pu Wang, Yun-Jie Fu, Feng Cao, Yi-Nuo Xu, Jin-Ge Kong, Na-Xi Tian, Yu Xu, Yun Wang
Summary: This study created a novel rat model called spared nerve crush (SNC) that successfully recapitulated neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury (PNI). The study revealed the intrinsic link between neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration and identified Adcyap1 as a potential gene contributing to both processes.
Article
Anesthesiology
Zhen Zhang, Bixin Zheng, Shibin Du, Guang Han, Hui Zhao, Shaogen Wu, Shushan Jia, Thomas Bachmann, Alex Bekker, Yuan-Xiang Tao
Summary: The study revealed that eIF4G2 is involved in the genesis of neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury, by regulating the expression of MOR and Kv1.2 in the injured DRG, suggesting it as a potential target for treatment of this disorder.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jianxiong Wei, Shuyang Chang, Siyi Liu, Lixia Tian, Xuan Zhu, Shuo Wang, Xiaoqiong Zhou, Yuying Wang, Linping Xu, Fu-Quan Huo, Lingli Liang
Summary: In this study, researchers investigated the role of LSD1, a histone demethylase and transcriptional co-repressor, in radicular pain. They found that LSD1 was upregulated in compressed and injured nerve ganglia, suggesting it may contribute to pain hypersensitivities. These findings suggest that LSD1 could serve as a potential target for the treatment of radicular pain and neuropathic pain.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Wen Chen, Xiaotong Wang, Qingyu Sun, Yurui Zhang, Jing Liu, Tingting Hu, Weihua Wu, Chao Wei, Meng Liu, Yumeng Ding, Dianxin Liu, Yingzi Chong, Peipei Wang, Hongwei Zhu, Weihua Cui, Jiannan Zhang, Qian Li, Fei Yang
Summary: The NLRP3 pathway is activated in the DRG of the DNP model, and TET2 is involved in DNP hypersensitivity by upregulating the TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lina Huang, Dilip Sharma, Xiaozhou Feng, Zhiqiang Pan, Shaogen Wu, Daisy Munoz, Alex Bekker, Huijuan Hu, Yuan-Xiang Tao
Summary: The study found that RALY, an RNA-binding protein, plays a role in nerve trauma-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity by regulating the expression of translation initiation factor Eif4g2 in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Interventions targeting RALY expression levels could alleviate the development and maintenance of pain hypersensitivity.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Juping Xing, Hongji Wang, Lisha Chen, Hanxi Wang, Huan Huang, Jiabao Huang, Changshui Xu
Summary: This study investigated the role of Cx43 in neuropathic pain mediated by the P2X4 receptor in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI). The results showed that blocking Cx43 can alleviate neuropathic pain in CCI rats through the P2X4, p38, ERK, and NF-kB signaling pathways. These findings suggest that Cx43 may be a promising therapeutic target for the development of novel pharmacological agents in the management of neuropathic pain.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fei Yang, Yi-Qing Zou, Min Li, Wen-Jun Luo, Guo-Zhong Chen, Xiao-Zhi Wu
Summary: Neuropathic pain is a common chronic pain condition, and the CXCR4 antagonist plerixafor can relieve such pain and have an analgesic effect lasting at least 24 hours. The study showed that plerixafor attenuated neuropathic pain by reducing the expression of Nav1.8 and Nav1.9.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jahanzaib Irfan, Muhammad Rizki Febrianto, Anju Sharma, Thomas Rose, Yasamin Mahmudzade, Simone Di Giovanni, Istvan Nagy, Jose Vicente Torres-Perez
Summary: This article summarizes and evaluates the effects of DNA methylation and non-coding RNA expression, two epigenetic mechanisms, on transcriptional modulation in nociceptive pathways during the development of tissue injury-associated pain. The potential of controlling these mechanisms as novel analgesic approaches and/or biomarkers of persistent pain is assessed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Li-Ping Xia, Hao Luo, Qiang Ma, Ya-Kai Xie, Wei Li, Hailan Hu, Zhen-Zhong Xu
Summary: GPR151 in nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain by controlling neuronal hyperexcitability and promoting spinal microglial activation, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target for neuropathic pain treatment.
Article
Immunology
Jing Xu, Shinan Wu, Junfei Wang, Jianmei Wang, Yi Yan, Mengye Zhu, Daying Zhang, Changyu Jiang, Tao Liu
Summary: The study revealed that NOX2-induced oxidative stress promotes the sensitization of DRGs and persistent pain by increasing the plasma membrane translocation of PKC epsilon.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Bi-Xin Zheng, Ayma Malik, Ming Xiong, Alex Bekker, Yuan-Xiang Tao
Summary: Neuropathic pain is a common clinical disorder that significantly impacts patient quality of life and imposes a substantial economic and social burden. Opioids are currently the last resort for treatment, but their effectiveness is limited due to downregulation of opioid receptors in primary afferent neurons after peripheral nerve trauma. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic modifications, transcription factor expression changes, and alterations in post-translational processing may contribute to this downregulation of opioid receptors in nerve trauma-related dorsal root ganglion neurons. Understanding these molecular mechanisms could offer new approaches for preventing or treating neuropathic pain.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
G. S. Piedade, S. Gillner, P. S. McPhillips, J. Vesper, P. J. Slotty
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the influence of stimulation frequency on pain reduction and quality of life in dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG-S). The results showed that lower stimulation frequencies were most effective in reducing neuropathic pain, significantly decreasing pain intensity and improving quality of life. Therefore, specific frequencies should be preferred based on the condition treated.
ACTA NEUROCHIRURGICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ming-Chun Hsieh, Cheng-Yuan Lai, Li-Ting Lin, Dylan Chou, Chou-Ming Yeh, Jen-Kun Cheng, Hsueh-Hsiao Wang, Kuan-Hung Lin, Tzer-Bin Lin, Hsien-Yu Peng
Summary: The neurohormone melatonin shows promising potential in alleviating neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy, with its analgesic effects mediated through melatonin receptor 2. Multiple administrations of melatonin during chemotherapy may be more effective in relieving allodynia/hyperalgesia and inhibiting the epigenetic program in neurons compared to a single administration after chemotherapy.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Donghang Zhang, Wenling Zhao, Jin Liu, Mengchan Ou, Peng Liang, Jia Li, Yali Chen, Daqing Liao, Siqi Bai, Jiefei Shen, Xiangdong Chen, Han Huang, Cheng Zhou
Summary: NALCN plays a significant role in chronic neuropathic pain, and knockdown of NALCN can significantly alleviate pain-related symptoms.
PROGRESS IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jakob Morgenstern, Jan B. Groener, Johann M. E. Jende, Felix T. Kurz, Alexander Strom, Jens Goepfert, Zoltan Kender, Maxime Le Marois, Maik Brune, Rohini Kuner, Stephan Herzig, Michael Roden, Dan Ziegler, Martin Bendszus, Julia Szendroedi, Peter Nawroth, Stefan Kopf, Thomas Fleming
Article
Oncology
Carlos Pedraz-Valdunciel, Stavros Giannoukakos, Nicolas Potie, Ana Gimenez-Capitan, Chung-Ying Huang, Michael Hackenberg, Alberto Fernandez-Hilario, Jill Bracht, Martyna Filipska, Erika Aldeguer, Sonia Rodriguez, Trever G. Bivona, Sarah Warren, Cristina Aguado, Masaoki Ito, Andres Aguilar-Hernandez, Miguel Angel Molina-Vila, Rafael Rosell
Summary: This study utilizes the nCounter platform and machine learning methods to identify two circRNA signatures with diagnostic potential for non-small cell lung cancer, providing new approaches and tools for its diagnosis.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bastian Fromm, Eirik Hoye, Diana Domanska, Xiangfu Zhong, Ernesto Aparicio-Puerta, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Sinan U. Umu, Peter J. Chabot, Wenjing Kang, Morteza Aslanzadeh, Marcel Tarbier, Emilio Marmol-Sanchez, Gianvito Urgese, Morten Johansen, Eivind Hovig, Michael Hackenberg, Marc R. Friedlander, Kevin J. Peterson
Summary: The update of MirGeneDB to MirGeneDB 2.1 added 30 additional species, expanding the database to cover 75 species spanning over 800 million years of animal evolution and containing 16670 microRNAs. The update also improved performance and allowed the download of microRNA expression matrices for all tissues and species.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Litke, Anna M. Hagenston, Ann-Kristin Kenkel, Eszter Paldy, Jianning Lu, Rohini Kuner, Daniela Mauceri
Summary: This study reveals the role of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) in sensitization of spinal cord neurons and its regulation of the organic anion transporter OAT1. Noxious stimuli cause HDAC4 to be exported from the nucleus and inactivated, while a mutant form of HDAC4 remains in the nucleus. The regulation of OAT1 by HDAC4 is shown to be involved in the development of inflammatory hypersensitivity. This research highlights HDAC4 as an important epigenetic regulator and suggests OAT1 as a potential target for pain-relieving therapies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rou-Gang Xie, Wen-Guang Chu, Da-Lu Liu, Xu Wang, Sui-Bin Ma, Fei Wang, Fu-Dong Wang, Zhen Lin, Wen-Bin Wu, Na Lu, Ying-Ying Liu, Wen-Juan Han, Hui Zhang, Zhan-Tao Bai, San-Jue Hu, Hui-Ren Tao, Thomas Kuner, Xu Zhang, Rohini Kuner, Sheng-Xi Wu, Ceng Luo
Summary: This study reveals the regulatory role of presynaptic NMDARs in spinal nociceptor terminals in pain transmission. It also uncovers the state-dependent modulation mechanism of presynaptic NMDARs on presynaptic plasticity and pain sensitivity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vijayan Gangadharan, Hongwei Zheng, Francisco J. Taberner, Jonathan Landry, Timo A. Nees, Jelena Pistolic, Nitin Agarwal, Deepitha Maennich, Vladimir Benes, Moritz Helmstaedter, Bjoern Ommer, Stefan G. Lechner, Thomas Kuner, Rohini Kuner
Summary: Nerve injury leads to chronic neuropathic pain characterized by allodynia and loss of sensation. The study reveals that reinnervation-induced neuropathic pain involves the sprouting of pain-sensing fibers into denervated areas, abnormal terminal connectivity, and malfunction of nociceptors. In contrast, touch-sensing fibers do not reinnervate, leading to aberrant innervation of tactile end organs.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Daniela Mauceri, Rohini Kuner
Summary: This study identifies the sodium-calcium exchanger 3 as a negative regulator of temporal summation and hypersensitivity in the spinal cord, linking it to pathological pain through its modulation of calcium homeostasis.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rohini Kuner, Thomas Kuner
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaoli Hu, Nitin Agarwal, Ming-Dong Zhang, Patrik Ernfors, Rohini Kuner, Jens Randel Nyengaard, Pall Karlsson
Summary: Based on a study using a mouse model of diabetes-induced neuropathy, it has been found that there are quantitative differences in nociceptive Schwann cell (SC) density between hyperglycemia-induced sensory abnormalities and normal conditions. The study also suggests that nociceptive SC density declines before nerve fiber deterioration.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL NEUROANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manfred J. Oswald, Yechao Han, Han Li, Samuel Marashli, Deniz Nouri Oglo, Bhavya Ojha, Paul Naser, Zheng Gan, Rohini Kuner
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of the basal nucleus of Meynert (NBM) in the perception and processing of pain. The NBM modulates neocortical activity to affect pain sensitivity and is enhanced during inflammatory pain behavior. Understanding the involvement of NBM in pain mechanisms may lead to new therapeutic targets for pain management.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Michael Hirth, Yong Xie, Christiane Hoeper, Amandine Prats, Thilo Hackert, Matthias P. Ebert, Rohini Kuner
Summary: In this study, we found that the KPC mouse model is better suited for studying cancer pain, while the KPPC model can be used to study cancer-associated reduction in well-being. We also found similarities between KPC and KPPC tissue with human samples in histology.
Article
Cell Biology
Han Li, Zheng Gan, Lirong Wang, Manfred Josef Oswald, Rohini Kuner
Summary: This study developed a method of repetitive transcranial direct current stimulation of the insular cortex and found that it has significant effects on neuropathic pain and pain-related anxiety. This stimulation method reduced pain perception by modulating opioidergic antinociceptive pathways and inhibited pain-related anxiety. These effects were associated with activity suppression in key areas.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zheng Gan, Vijayan Gangadharan, Sheng Liu, Christoph Koerber, Linette Liqi Tan, Han Li, Manfred Josef Oswald, Juhyun Kang, Jesus Martin-Cortecero, Deepitha Maennich, Alexander Groh, Thomas Kuner, Sebastian Wieland, Rohini Kuner
Summary: The primary motor cortex (M1) regulates the sensory and aversive-emotional components of neuropathic pain through distinct pathways, offering potential for pain relief.
Article
Cell Biology
Carlo Antonio Beretta, Sheng Liu, Alina Stegemann, Zheng Gan, Lirong Wang, Linette Liqi Tan, Rohini Kuner
Summary: A new open-source ImageJ/Fiji tool called 'Quanty-cFOS' is introduced for the automated or semi-automated counting of cells positive for Fos protein and/or c-fos mRNA in tissue section images. This tool enables a rapid and reliable spatial mapping of neural activity and can be easily extended to count other types of labelled cells.
Review
Biology
Deepti Mittal, Rebecca Mease, Thomas Kuner, Herta Flor, Rohini Kuner, Jamila Andoh
Summary: The importance of effective research data management (RDM) strategies grows with advancements in data acquisition techniques and research methods, especially in neuroscience. However, large-scale neuroscience research consortia face challenges in implementing a coherent RDM plan due to the diverse research strategies and requirements they encompass. This article presents a concrete RDM strategy implemented for the Heidelberg Collaborative Research Consortium, focusing on sustainable solutions that incentivize incremental RDM while respecting research-specific requirements.