Cahill Catherine M, Holdridge Sarah V, Morinville Anne
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Jan;28(1):23-31. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2006.11.003. Epub 2006 Dec 5.
A cell can regulate how it interacts with its external environment by controlling the number of plasma membrane receptors that are accessible for ligand stimulation. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest superfamily of cell surface receptors and have a significant role in physiological and pathological processes. Much research effort is now focused on understanding how GPCRs are delivered to the cell surface to enhance the number of 'bioavailable' receptors accessible for activation. Knowing how such processes are triggered or modified following induction of various pathological states will inevitably identify new therapeutic strategies for treating various diseases, including chronic pain. Here, we highlight recent advances in this field, and provide examples of the importance of such trafficking events in pain.
细胞可以通过控制可用于配体刺激的质膜受体数量来调节其与外部环境的相互作用。G蛋白偶联受体（GPCRs）是细胞表面受体中最大的超家族，在生理和病理过程中发挥着重要作用。目前，许多研究工作都集中在了解GPCRs如何被转运到细胞表面，以增加可用于激活的“生物可利用”受体数量。了解在各种病理状态诱导后这些过程是如何被触发或改变的，将不可避免地为治疗各种疾病，包括慢性疼痛，确定新的治疗策略。在这里，我们强调该领域的最新进展，并举例说明这种转运事件在疼痛中的重要性。
