Voltage-gated sodium channels in spinal ganglia: Tempting targets for new pain medications

The expression of voltage-gated sodium channels in spinal sensory ganglia, the initial neuronal link in the pathways responsible for pain perception, is altered by injury and disease, leading to chronic and neuropathic pain. Use-dependent inhibition of these channels may provide significant pain relief while avoiding central side effects. The discovery of small-molecule inhibitors of these channels has been recently facilitated by advances in technologies for functional screening of voltage-gated ion channels.

Section editors:David Sibley – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USAC. Anthony Altar – Psychiatric Genomics, Gaithersburg, USATheresa Branchek – Lundbeck Research, Paramus, USA