TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular genetic approaches to nociceptor development and function
AU - Akopian, A. N.
AU - Abson, N. C.
AU - Wood, J. N.
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge generous support from the Wellcome Trust (ANA and JNW) and the Medical Research Council (NA), and helpful comments from our colleagues at UCL.
PY - 1996/6
Y1 - 1996/6
N2 - The activation of peripheral nociceptors is the subject of intense scrutiny, because of its significance in pain regulation. Genetic approaches, including homology cloning, difference cloning and transgenic manipulation of mice are providing useful insights into nociceptor function. Recent work suggests that transcriptional regulators (for example, islet-I), which are expressed relatively selectively in sensory neurones, play a crucial role in defining cellular phenotype. Difference cloning has identified genes which encode both ligand-gated and voltage-gated ion channels expressed by small- diameter sensory neurones. The role of inflammatory mediators such as NGF in regulating nociceptor function has been clarified in mis-expression and deletion studies. An understanding of the mechanisms that regulate gene expression in nociceptors should provide new ways to manipulate nociceptor sensitivity, with potential significance for pain therapy.
AB - The activation of peripheral nociceptors is the subject of intense scrutiny, because of its significance in pain regulation. Genetic approaches, including homology cloning, difference cloning and transgenic manipulation of mice are providing useful insights into nociceptor function. Recent work suggests that transcriptional regulators (for example, islet-I), which are expressed relatively selectively in sensory neurones, play a crucial role in defining cellular phenotype. Difference cloning has identified genes which encode both ligand-gated and voltage-gated ion channels expressed by small- diameter sensory neurones. The role of inflammatory mediators such as NGF in regulating nociceptor function has been clarified in mis-expression and deletion studies. An understanding of the mechanisms that regulate gene expression in nociceptors should provide new ways to manipulate nociceptor sensitivity, with potential significance for pain therapy.
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U2 - 10.1016/0166-2236(96)10030-8
DO - 10.1016/0166-2236(96)10030-8
M3 - Review article
C2 - 8761960
AN - SCOPUS:0030011609
SN - 0166-2236
VL - 19
SP - 240
EP - 246
JO - Trends in Neurosciences
JF - Trends in Neurosciences
IS - 6
ER -