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Nature 438, 923-925 (15 December 2005) | doi:10.1038/438923a; Published online 14 December 2005

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Neuroscience: A painful factor

Carole Torsney1 & Amy B. MacDermott1

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Peripheral nerve injury activates cells in the spinal cord called microglia. But how do such cells cause the ensuing chronic pain? It seems that they release a small protein that disrupts normal inhibition of pain signalling.

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating chronic pain condition with limited treatment options1. It is caused by damage to the nerves that transmit sensory information (touch, pain, temperature and so on).

  1. Carole Torsney and Amy B. MacDermott are in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
    Email: abm1@columbia.edu

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