Siniscalco D, Rossi F, Maione S
Department of Experimental Medicine - Section of Pharmacology "L. Donatelli", Second University of Naples .
J Stem Cells Regen Med. 2007 Nov 14;3(1):2-11. doi: 10.46582/jsrm.0301002. eCollection 2007.
Pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction in the nervous system is defined as neuropathic pain. About 75 -150 million people in the United States are suffering for chronic pain disorder. Neuropathic pain has a great impact on the human wellbeing. It is very debilitating and often has an associated degree of depression that contributes to decreasing the quality of life. Moreover, the management of chronic pain is costly to the health care system. Pain is a national healthcare priority in US: the United States Congress has declared the present decade (2001-2010) as the "Decade of Pain Control and Research". Neuropathic pain is a very complex disease, involving several molecular pathways. Due to its individual character, its treatment is extremely difficult. Current available drugs are usually not acting on the several mechanisms underlying the generation and propagation of pain. Nowadays, pain research is focusing on newer molecular ways, such as stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and viral vectors for delivery of biologic anti-nociceptive molecules. These methods could provide a new therapeutic approach to neuropathic pain relief.
由神经系统原发性病变或功能障碍引发或导致的疼痛被定义为神经性疼痛。美国约有7500万至1.5亿人患有慢性疼痛疾病。神经性疼痛对人类健康有重大影响。它极具致残性，且常常伴有一定程度的抑郁，这会导致生活质量下降。此外，慢性疼痛的治疗对医疗保健系统而言成本高昂。疼痛是美国国家医疗保健的重点：美国国会已宣布当前十年（2001 - 2010年）为“疼痛控制与研究十年”。神经性疼痛是一种非常复杂的疾病，涉及多种分子途径。因其个体特性，其治疗极其困难。目前可用的药物通常无法作用于疼痛产生和传播的多种机制。如今，疼痛研究正聚焦于更新的分子方法，如干细胞疗法、基因疗法以及用于递送生物抗伤害性分子的病毒载体。这些方法可为缓解神经性疼痛提供一种新的治疗途径。
