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Letter

Nature Medicine 14, 331–336 (1 March 2008) | doi:10.1038/nm1723

Distinct roles of matrix metalloproteases in the early- and late-phase development of neuropathic pain

Yasuhiko Kawasaki , Zhen-Zhong Xu , Xiaoying Wang , Jong Yeon Park , Zhi-Ye Zhuang , Ping-Heng Tan , Yong-Jing Gao , Kristine Roy , Gabriel Corfas , Eng H Lo & Ru-Rong Ji

Treatment of neuropathic pain, triggered by multiple insults to the nervous system, is a clinical challenge because the underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain development remain poorly understood. Most treatments do not differentiate between different phases of neuropathic pain pathophysiology and simply focus on blocking neurotransmission, producing transient pain relief.