NEW PHARMACOLOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR PAIN RELIEF

The recent advances made in elucidating the processes of nociception h ave altered the way that chronic pain therapy and analgesic drug devel opment are approached. Recent studies have highlighted new targets for drug discovery, including inhibition of inflammatory mediators (kinin s, growth factors), newly expressed proteins (B-1 receptors, COX-2), a nd blockers of afferent fiber activity (capsaicin analogues, ion chann el blockers). In the CNS, a further multiplicity of strategies can be pursued, including the development of antagonists of specific neuropep tide and glutamate receptors or agonists for purine and amine receptor s. Such drugs will inevitably supplement or replace conventional NSAID and opioid analgesics. Further characterization of gene regulation wi ll allow the development of drugs that genetically modify cellular act ivity altered by chronic pain conditions.