Molecules that specify modality: Mechanisms of nociception

Damage-sensing neurons express a unique cohort of genes encoding channels a nd receptors that play a role in nociception. However, there are redundant pathways involved in, for example, inflammatory pain and many channels and receptors have additional physiologic roles unrelated to nociception. Thus, it is impossible to ascribe a particular sensory modality to the expressio ns of a single molecular entity. Despite this, the relatively selective exp ression of a number of channels and receptors in nociceptive neurons provid e potentially interesting analgesic drug targets that can be examined throu gh the generation of knockout mice.