Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex, debilitating, chronic pain state, heterogeneous in nature and caused by a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system. Its pathogenesis involves a wide range of molecular pathways. NP treatment is extremely challenging, due to its complex underlying disease mechanisms. Current pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches can provide long-lasting pain relief to a limited percentage of patients and lack safe and effective treatment options. Therefore, scientists are focusing on the introduction of novel treatment approaches, such as stem cell therapy. A growing number of reports have highlighted the potential of stem cells for treating NP. In this review, we briefly introduce NP, current pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, and preclinical studies of stem cells to treat NP. In addition, we summarize stem cell mechanisms—including neuromodulation in treating NP. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed to provide an overview of the neuroprotective effects of stem cells with particular emphasis on recent translational research regarding stem cell-based treatment of NP, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic approach.
Highlights
Pain is the body’s response to unpleasant stimuli, such as external injury or internal disease
In a constriction injury (CCI) sciatic nerve injury model, both IL-1β and IL-6 expression were greatly attenuated following transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells, whereas, anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly upregulated [84]. These outcomes could be due to the interaction between stem cells and macrophages, leading to polarization of the latter into anti-inflammatory phenotypes. This hypothesis is further supported by another study wherein dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) transplantation in diabetic rats led to number of cytokines, chemokines, and lipid mediators are released, sensitizing and stimulating nociceptors, which in turn results in local homeostatic changes [80]
Nerve injury leads to a series of neuronal cascades, which result in central sensitization, the crucial step in Neuropathic pain (NP) development
Summary
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