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Sodium channels and pain: from toxins to therapies
Author(s) -
Cardoso Fernanda C,
Lewis Richard J
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/bph.13962
Subject(s) - sodium channel , neuropathic pain , chronic pain , neuroscience , ion channel , analgesic , electrophysiology , medicine , sodium channel blocker , bioinformatics , acute pain , pharmacology , biology , chemistry , anesthesia , sodium , receptor , organic chemistry
Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na V channels) are essential for the initiation and propagation of action potentials that critically influence our ability to respond to a diverse range of stimuli. Physiological and pharmacological studies have linked abnormal function of Na V channels to many human disorders, including chronic neuropathic pain. These findings, along with the description of the functional properties and expression pattern of Na V channel subtypes, are helping to uncover subtype specific roles in acute and chronic pain and revealing potential opportunities to target these with selective inhibitors. High-throughput screens and automated electrophysiology platforms have identified natural toxins as a promising group of molecules for the development of target-specific analgesics. In this review, the role of toxins in defining the contribution of Na V channels in acute and chronic pain states and their potential to be used as analgesic therapies are discussed.