Microglia and mast cells: new targets for the treatment of chronic pain

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of effective ma­nagement of chronic pain. A review of the known mechanisms of development and maintenance of chronic pain and possible me­thods of influence is given. One of the reasons for the lack of chro­nic pain treatment effectiveness in some patients is the use of treatment regimens with drugs acting exclusively on the targets loca­ted in the nerve structures. Today an important role of micro­glia and mast cells in the development and maintenance of chronic pain conditions is well acknowledged. A new class of drugs from the group of acylethanolamides is described. One of the representatives of this group is palmitoylethanolamide. This drug may mo­dulate the activity of microglia and mast cells, thus increasing the pain threshold and the effectiveness of therapy. The use of palmitoylethanolamide in patients with chronic pain can increase the effectiveness of therapy.

Keywords

• chronic pain, microglia, palmitoylethanolamide