A protein called RGS4 (Regulator of G protein signaling 4) plays a prominent role in the maintenance of long-term pain states and may serve as a promising new target for the treatment of chronic pain conditions.
The discovery may help doctors stop acute pain from progressing into chronic pain, a condition in which patients experience not just pain, but a number of debilitating symptoms ranging from sensory deficits to depression and loss of motivation. The transition from acute to chronic (pathological) pain is accompanied by numerous adaptations in immune, glial, and neuronal cells, many of which are still not well understood. As a result, currently available medications for neuropathic or chronic inflammatory pain show limited efficacy and major side effects.
Commonly administered opioids provide a temporary alleviation of some pain symptoms but carry serious risks like addiction in the context of long-term treatment for chronic pain. Therefore, there is an imminent need for novel approaches towards the treatment of chronic pain and for the development of medications that disrupt pain states instead of simply alleviating symptoms.
RGS4 is a multifunctional protein widely expressed in brain circuits that process pathological pain, mood, and motivation. The genetic inactivation of RGS4 does not affect acute pain or the induction of chronic pain, it promotes recovery from sensory hypersensitivity symptoms in preclinical models of peripheral nerve injury, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, and peripheral inflammation.
Credits: eurekalert.org
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