The mechanism of the glial cells involved in neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is caused by lesion or disease of somatosensory system. The glial cell includes astrocyte and microglia in central nervous system (CNS), as well as satellite cell and Schwann cell in peripheral nervous system (PNS). Neural lesion activates the glial cell, inducing its morphology changes and certain protein expression. By interacting with neurons, the glial cell plays important roles in both the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain. In this review, we present recent progress in the study of glial mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain.PubMed06427-324