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NGF /TrkA Signaling as a Therapeutic Target for Pain
Author(s) -
Hirose Munetaka,
Kuroda Yoshihiro,
Murata Eri
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/papr.12342
Subject(s) - tropomyosin receptor kinase a , nerve growth factor , trk receptor , low affinity nerve growth factor receptor , medicine , receptor , neurotrophin , signal transduction , pharmacology , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Nerve growth factor ( NGF ) was first discovered approximately 60 years ago by Rita Levi‐Montalcini as a protein that induces the growth of nerves. It is now known that NGF is also associated with Alzheimer's disease and intractable pain, and hence, it, along with its high‐affinity receptor, tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) A, is considered to be 1 of the new targets for therapies being developed to treat these diseases. Anti‐ NGF antibody and TrkA inhibitors are known drugs that suppress NGF /TrkA signaling, and many drugs of these classes have been developed thus far. Interestingly, local anesthetics also possess TrkA inhibitory effects. This manuscript describes the development of an analgesic that suppresses NGF /TrkA signaling, which is anticipated to be 1 of the new methods to treat intractable pain.