Di Spiezio Alessandro, Gómez-Gonzalo Marta, Chiavegato Angela, Zonta Micaela
Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Padova, Italy.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Neurochem Res. 2025 Aug 23;50(5):276. doi: 10.1007/s11064-025-04503-x.
Chronic pain is a debilitating, life-altering condition that affects a significant portion of the global population, impacting approximately one fifth of people in Europe and one third of people worldwide. Clinical and experimental efforts are increasingly converging to deepen our comprehension of the molecular, cellular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying persistent pain. While most studies have traditionally focused on alterations of nociceptive pathways in neurons, growing evidence highlights the critical role of astrocytes in modulating these pathways and contributing to the development of the central sensitization that characterizes chronic pain. Moreover, astrocytes are also implicated in pain-associated maladaptive behaviours and cognitive impairments. In this context, we review the latest findings on astrocyte involvement in chronic pain and its related mood and cognitive comorbidities.
慢性疼痛是一种使人衰弱、改变生活的病症，影响着全球相当大比例的人口，在欧洲约五分之一的人以及全球三分之一的人受其影响。临床和实验方面的努力正日益趋同，以加深我们对持续性疼痛背后的分子、细胞和回路水平机制的理解。虽然大多数研究传统上聚焦于神经元中伤害性感受通路的改变，但越来越多的证据凸显了星形胶质细胞在调节这些通路以及促成以慢性疼痛为特征的中枢敏化发展过程中的关键作用。此外，星形胶质细胞还与疼痛相关的适应不良行为和认知障碍有关。在此背景下，我们综述了关于星形胶质细胞参与慢性疼痛及其相关情绪和认知共病情况的最新研究发现。
