Premium
Cell‐based therapies and natural compounds for pain
Author(s) -
Shparberg Rachel,
Vickers Edward R.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
australian endodontic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.703
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1747-4477
pISSN - 1329-1947
DOI - 10.1111/aej.12256
Subject(s) - induced pluripotent stem cell , stem cell , embryonic stem cell , regenerative medicine , neuroscience , medicine , pharmacology , bioinformatics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene
Cell‐based therapies and natural compounds are increasingly being acknowledged for their potential roles in managing a variety of conditions, including pain. Stem cells have gained attention over the years for their contribution to our understanding of normal and abnormal physiology, their capacity to assist in efficient drug design and screening and their role in regenerative medicine. This chapter will review our current understanding of the complex pathophysiology of pain using adult, embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells as models. In addition, this chapter outlines several natural compounds that are used in the treatment of neuropathic pain, with a focus on evidence‐based information of the polyphenols, polyamines and endocannabinoids derived from plants and food sources. Advantages of these compounds are the higher margins of safety, low incidence of side effects. Recent evidence shows several polyphenols can induce differentiation of healthy stem cells yet inhibit cancer stem cells.