Pain is the defining feature for many disease diagnoses. It can serve as an index of the severity and activity of an underlying condition, a prognostic indicator, and a determinant of health service use. The International Association for the Study of Pain and the World Health Organization define pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.There are two major types of persistent pain: neuropathic and inflammatory persistent pain, and here is an overview of some important molecular targets that are thought to mediate these types of pain. These targets, which include ion channels, receptors, and some neurotransmitters, are potential drug targets for the better treatment of pain in patients with persistent pain. Inflammatory mediators including protons, 5HT, histamine, adenosine,bradykinin, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), NO, IL-1, TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor, and NGF.

References

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