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A checkpoint to pain

Nature Neuroscience volume 20, pages 897–899 (2017)Cite this article

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The checkpoint pathway consisting of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor, PD-1, modulates immune function in cancer and infection, but unexpectedly, it also silences pain signals in nerves.

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Figure 1: Chen et al.5 report that the checkpoint pathway ligand PD-L1 inhibits pain and allodynia in mouse models of neuropathic and cancer pain and that it also suppresses basal pain sensitivity via activation of its cognate receptor, PD-1, expressed on peripheral sensory neurons.

Kim Caesar / Springer Nature

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Author notes

  1. Michael Hirth and Jagadeesh Gandla: Michael Hirth and Jagadeesh Gandla contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

    Michael Hirth, Jagadeesh Gandla & Rohini Kuner

  2. Department of Medicine II, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty at Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany

    Michael Hirth

Authors
  1. Michael Hirth
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  2. Jagadeesh Gandla
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  3. Rohini Kuner
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Correspondence to Rohini Kuner.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hirth, M., Gandla, J. & Kuner, R. A checkpoint to pain. Nat Neurosci 20, 897–899 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4586

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