Nature Communications (Apr 2018)

Control of mechanical pain hypersensitivity in mice through ligand-targeted photoablation of TrkB-positive sensory neurons

  • Rahul Dhandapani,
  • Cynthia Mary Arokiaraj,
  • Francisco J. Taberner,
  • Paola Pacifico,
  • Sruthi Raja,
  • Linda Nocchi,
  • Carla Portulano,
  • Federica Franciosa,
  • Mariano Maffei,
  • Ahmad Fawzi Hussain,
  • Fernanda de Castro Reis,
  • Luc Reymond,
  • Emerald Perlas,
  • Simone Garcovich,
  • Stefan Barth,
  • Kai Johnsson,
  • Stefan G. Lechner,
  • Paul A. Heppenstall

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04049-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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There are several classes of sensory neuron that contribute to pain states. Here, the authors demonstrate that TrkB+ sensory neurons detect light touch under normal conditions in mice but contribute to hypersensitivity in models of chronic pain, and that ligand-guided laser ablation of TrkB+ sensory neurons in the mouse skin attenuates this hypersensitivity.