Epigenetic regulation of persistent pain

Transl Res. 2015 Jan;165(1):177-99. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2014.05.012. Epub 2014 May 29.

Abstract

Persistent or chronic pain is tightly associated with various environmental changes and linked to abnormal gene expression within cells processing nociceptive signaling. Epigenetic regulation governs gene expression in response to environmental cues. Recent animal model and clinical studies indicate that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the development or maintenance of persistent pain and possibly the transition of acute pain to chronic pain, thus shedding light in a direction for development of new therapeutics for persistent pain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
  • Chronic Pain / drug therapy
  • Chronic Pain / genetics*
  • Chronic Pain / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epigenesis, Genetic*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Neuralgia / genetics
  • Neuralgia / metabolism
  • RNA, Untranslated / genetics
  • RNA, Untranslated / metabolism
  • Translational Research, Biomedical
  • Visceral Pain / genetics
  • Visceral Pain / metabolism

Substances

  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Histones
  • RNA, Untranslated