Sensory neuron cAMP signaling in chronic pain

Chronic pain is a major debilitating disorder of the nervous system that affects more than one-fifth of the adult population. Chronic pain is the result of a mixture of pathogenic mechanisms and there is a lack of effective, side effect-free therapeutic options. Many researchers have tried to elucidate specific signaling pathways that are responsible for aberrant pain states. The first pathway identified in regulating pain sensitivity is the cAMP signaling pathway. Major advances have been made and have helped to elucidate the role of cyclic nucleotide signaling in the sensory system. A myriad of effectors of the cAMP signaling cascade have been attributed to the development of chronic pain. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of the important cAMP-mediated cellular processes in chronic pain and the methods used to advance this exciting field. We will specifically focus on cAMP in sensory neurons.