Targeting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway for chronic pain

Aging Dis. 2024 Feb 1;15(1):186-200. doi: 10.14336/AD.2023.0515.

Abstract

Chronic pain is a notable health concern because of its prevalence, persistence, and associated mental stress. Drugs targeting chronic pain with potent abirritation, and minimal side effects remain unidentified. Substantial evidence indicates that the Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway plays a distinct and critical role in different stages of chronic pain. Aberrant activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is evident in multiple chronic pain models. Moreover, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that the downregulation of JAK2/STAT3 can attenuate chronic pain in different animal models. In this review, we investigated the mechanism and role of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in modulating chronic pain. The aberrant activation of JAK2/STAT3 can trigger chronic pain by interacting with microglia and astrocytes, releasing proinflammatory cytokines, inhibiting anti-inflammatory cytokines, and regulating synaptic plasticity. We also retrospectively reviewed current reports on JAK2/STAT3 pharmacological inhibitors that demonstrated their significant therapeutic potential in different types of chronic pain. In summary, our results provide strong evidence that the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic target for chronic pain.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chronic Pain* / drug therapy
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Janus Kinase 2*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Janus Kinase 2
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • Cytokines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82271291, 82071556, 82001198, and 82101310) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFC2005300).