Gene therapy for chronic pain

Abstract

Gene therapy shows great potential to assist numerous patients with inadequate relief of inflammatory or neuropathic pain, or intractable pain associated with advanced cancer. A brief overview is provided of the methods of gene therapy and of preclinical findings in animal models of prolonged inflammatory, neuropathic and cancer pain. Preclinical findings demonstrate no efficacy of gene therapy on basal thermal nociception and mechanical sensitivity, and almost universal effects on pathological nociception and hypersensitivity models. The status of human trials is provided with recommendations for future directions and precautions. This early stage of development of gene therapy for chronic pain will likely be followed by an increased number of human clinical trials aimed specifically at the relief of chronic, unrelenting pain. © 2009 Springer New York.