Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Chronic Pain is Driven by a Central to Peripheral Interleukin-1 Mediated Signaling Pathway

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with the development of treatment-resistant chronic pain that most commonly presents below the level of injury. Novel therapeutics are essential to reduce risk of chronic pain development and improve functional recovery. We and others have shown that SCI causes an increase in below-level nociceptor hyperactivity that is associated with the development and persistence of below-level pain. The mechanism responsible for this increase in below-level nociceptor activity is not well understood, but whole transcriptome RNA sequencing of the spinal cord and DRG has suggested that SCI increases expression and release proinflammatory cytokine, IL-1 β, at the site of injury, while its expression of its receptor, IL-1R1, is increased in below-level DRG.
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research