Epigenetics: A Promising Paradigm for Better Understanding and Managing Pain

JOURNAL OF PAIN

卷:14

Review

Seo, Seungmae¹  Grzenda, Adrienne¹  Lomberk, Gwen¹  Ou, Xiao-Ming²  Cruciani, Ricardo A.^3,4,5  Urrutia, Raul¹ 

[1] Mayo Clin, Dept Med Physiol Biochem & Mol Biol, Lab Epigenet & Chromatin Dynam, Translat Epigen Program,Ctr Individualized Med,GI, Rochester, MN 55905 USA

[2] Univ Mississippi, Med Ctr, Dept Psychiat & Human Behav, Jackson, MS 39216 USA

[3] Albert Einstein Coll Med, Beth Israel Med Ctr, Dept Pain Med & Palliat Care, New York, NY USA

[4] Albert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Neurol, New York, NY USA

[5] Albert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Anesthesiol, New York, NY USA

关键词: Pain;    epigenetic;    chromatin;    histone modification;    transcription factor;    DNA methylation;    opioid receptors;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jpain.2013.01.772

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a rapidly growing area of research. Considering the longevity and plasticity of neurons, the studies on epigenetic pathways in the nervous system should be of special interest for both epigeneticists and neuroscientists. Activation or inactivation of different epigenetic pathways becomes more pronounced when the cells experience rapid changes in their environment, and such changes can be easily caused by injury and inflammation, resulting in pain perception or distortion of pain perception (eg, hyperalgesia). Therefore, in this regard, the field of pain is at an advantage to study the epigenetic pathways. More importantly, understanding pain from an epigenetics point of view would provide a new paradigm for developing drugs or strategies for pain management. In this review, we introduce basic concepts of epigenetics, including chromatin dynamics, histone modifications, DNA methylation, and RNA-induced gene silencing. In addition, we provide evidence from published studies suggesting wide implication of different epigenetic pathways within pain pathways. Perspective: This article provides a brief overview of epigenetic pathways for gene regulation and highlights their involvement in pain. Our goal is to expose the readers to these concepts so that pain-related phenotypes can be investigated from the epigenetic point of view. (C) 2013 by the American Pain Society

【 授权许可】

Free