Established and emerging roles of protein kinases in regulating primary sensory neurons in injury-and inflammation-associated pain
Author(s)
Zimmermann, David
Kress, Michaela
Nagy, Istvan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction
Recent seminal neuroscience research has significantly increased our knowledge on cellular and molecular responses of various cells in the pain pathway to peripheral nerve injuries and inflammatory processes. Transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis of primary sensory neurons (PSNs) in animal models of peripheral injuries revealed new insights into altered gene expression profiles and epigenetic modifications, which, via increasing spinal nociceptive input, lead to the development of pain. Among the various classes of molecules involved in driving differential gene expression, protein kinases, the enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of molecules, are emerging to control histone modification and chromatin remodeling needed for the alteration in transcriptional activity.
Areas covered
Here, we focused on how protein kinases contribute to transcriptomic changes and pathways of induced reprogramming within PSNs upon peripheral nerve injury and inflammation. We conducted systematic literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, NIH ClinicalTrials.gov portal and GEOData from 1980 to 2024 and compared protein kinase expression frequencies between publicly available RNA sequencing datasets of PSNs and investigated differences in protein kinase expression levels after peripheral nerve injury.
Expert opinion
Novel findings support a new concept that protein kinases constitute regulatory hubs of reprogramming of PSNs, which offers novel analgesic approaches.
Recent seminal neuroscience research has significantly increased our knowledge on cellular and molecular responses of various cells in the pain pathway to peripheral nerve injuries and inflammatory processes. Transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis of primary sensory neurons (PSNs) in animal models of peripheral injuries revealed new insights into altered gene expression profiles and epigenetic modifications, which, via increasing spinal nociceptive input, lead to the development of pain. Among the various classes of molecules involved in driving differential gene expression, protein kinases, the enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of molecules, are emerging to control histone modification and chromatin remodeling needed for the alteration in transcriptional activity.
Areas covered
Here, we focused on how protein kinases contribute to transcriptomic changes and pathways of induced reprogramming within PSNs upon peripheral nerve injury and inflammation. We conducted systematic literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, NIH ClinicalTrials.gov portal and GEOData from 1980 to 2024 and compared protein kinase expression frequencies between publicly available RNA sequencing datasets of PSNs and investigated differences in protein kinase expression levels after peripheral nerve injury.
Expert opinion
Novel findings support a new concept that protein kinases constitute regulatory hubs of reprogramming of PSNs, which offers novel analgesic approaches.
Date Issued
2025-04-13
Date Acceptance
2025-04-02
Citation
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, 2025, 29 (4-5), pp.267-280
ISSN
1460-0412
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Start Page
267
End Page
280
Journal / Book Title
Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets
Volume
29
Issue
4-5
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40200157
Subjects
Peripheral nerve injury
dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
epigenetic modification
human
mouse
proteomics
transcriptomics
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2025-04-13