Voltage-gated sodium channel blockers for the treatment of neuropathic pain

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Expert Rev Neurother. 2007 Nov;7(11):1597-612.

Voltage-gated sodium channel blockers for the treatment of

neuropathic pain.

Cummins TR, Rush AM.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Stark

Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, School of

Medicine, 950 W Walnut St, R2-Room 468, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

Pain serves a crucial physiological function, warning the body of

impending or actual tissue damage, preventing further damage and

aiding the healing process. Neuropathic pain, resulting from nervous

system injury or dysfunction, can be a serious medical problem and

especially difficult to treat. Although sodium channel blockers are

clinically useful for treating pain, they often provide only partial

relief and adverse effects associated with nonspecific actions can

limit their use. Research on the roles of sodium channels in

neuronal excitability and pain shows that specific sodium channel

isoforms are crucial determinants of nociception and neuropathic

pain, indicating that it should be possible to develop sodium

channel blockers with lower toxicity and enhanced efficacy for

treating neuropathic pain.