Georgetown University, NW, Washington, DC 20007-2197, USA.
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2012 Apr;12(2):104-14. doi: 10.1007/s11882-012-0245-8.
Once there was a day when all type C nonmyelinated neurons were indistinguishable. That time of histologic analysis has passed, and we have entered an era of unparalleled technological insight into the mechanisms of pain and pruritus. Since the description of the capsaicin receptor, transient receptor protein vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), in 1997, we have seen the number of related sensor ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, and signaling proteins explode. Specific nociceptive pathways have been identified based on their sensitivity to mechanical, heat, chemical, and cold stimuli. Pruritus is now recognized to have both histamine-sensitive and histamine-independent afferent arcs. Cross-talk between C-fibre systems and myelinated neural pathways has become more complex, but through complexity, a new reality of sensory coding is emerging. A multitude of novel therapeutics have been and are in planning and production stages. These will almost certainly revolutionize our understanding and treatment of pain and itch by the end of this decade.
曾经有一天，所有 C 型无髓鞘神经元都无法区分。那个进行组织学分析的时代已经过去，我们已经进入了一个能够以前所未有的技术洞察力来研究疼痛和瘙痒机制的时代。自 1997 年辣椒素受体（瞬时受体蛋白香草素 1，TRPV1）被描述以来，我们已经看到与传感器离子通道、G 蛋白偶联受体和信号蛋白相关的数量呈爆炸式增长。特定的伤害性途径已经根据它们对机械、热、化学和冷刺激的敏感性被确定。瘙痒现在被认为既有组胺敏感型又有非组胺依赖型传入弧。C 纤维系统和有髓神经通路之间的串扰变得更加复杂，但通过这种复杂性，一种新的感觉编码的现实正在出现。大量新的治疗方法已经在计划和生产阶段，并且几乎可以肯定会在本十年末彻底改变我们对疼痛和瘙痒的理解和治疗方式。
