Spinal Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Regulates Pain after Peripheral Trauma

Authors

Maral Tajerian, CUNY Queens CollegeFollow
J. David Clark, Stanford University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

It is well documented that pain chronification requires a host of plastic mechanisms at the spinal cord (SC) level, including alterations in neuronal and glial structure and function. Such cellular plasticity necessitates the existence of a plastic extracellular matrix(ECM). Here, we describe a key role for ECM remodeling in the regulation of chronic pain following peripheral injury. Three weeks following tibia fracture in mice, we show increased levels of MMP8 in the SC. Furthermore, we show that the pharmacological or genetic downregulation of MMP8 ameliorates the pain phenotype observed after injury. These results delineate an extracellular mechanism for pain chronification, thereby improving our mechan-stic understanding of pain and providing novel therapeutic venues that go beyond targeting individual cell types

Comments

This article was originally published as: Tajerian M. and Clark J.D. "Spinal Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Regulates Pain after Peripheral Trauma." Journal of Pain Research, 2019. PMID: 31118746.

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