Neuroimmune activation and chronic pain.

Chronic pain is an extremely debilitating disease syndrome for which current treatment modalities are largely ineffective. This article presents the recently proposed contributions of neuroimmune activation to the maintenance of chronic pain. The theory of neuroimmune activation postulates a pathway that links peripheral neuronal injury/inflammation with the activation of central nervous system neuroglial cells, which contributes to sustained neuronal hyperexcitability. Literature generated by the emerging field of central nervous system glial cell research, including genetic therapies, was reviewed to provide empirical support for this pathway. The clinical implications of neuroimmune activation to improved treatment of chronic pain states are discussed.