Gliopathic pain and gliopathic modulators: Introduction into the field of glia and neuropathic pain

Glia is the new target for treating neuropathic pain. The positive feedback loop between overactive neurons and overstimulated glia and asterocytes create a winding up phenomena. Regular therapy tries to cut this winding up positive feedback loop by inhibiting the fire frequency of the neurons. The glia and asterocytes interprete the neurotransmitters of the neurons as emergency signals, and start pooring out nerve growth factors and all kinds of other molecules. This good intention leads to the further winding up phenomena. Therefore, modulating or inhibiting the nervous activity only is not enough for many patients suffering from neuropathic pain. We need additional gliopathic modulators.

Autocoids and gliopathic pain 

Autocoids are locally produced molecules bringing balance in the inflammatory cascade triggered by the positive feedbackloop. One of such molecules is palmitoylethalonamide, PEA, a fatty acid produced in response to stress and a clear modulator of the detrimental inflammatory cascades playing a role in neuropathic wind-up.

More of these endogenious modulators exist, and in modern multimodal therapy of neuropathic pain, or gliopathic pain, these auticoids, and PEA is an example of such a autocoid gliopathic modulator, are most welcome.  

The links below are all giving more and detailed information related to the new concept of gliopathic pain and gliopathic pain modulators. 

In this chapter we will discuss the important chapter in chronic pain related to glia, gliopathic pain and gliopathic pain modulators in more detail. 

November 2010, Jan M. Keppel Hesselink, MD, PhD 

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