title: [Satellite glial cells in sensory ganglia: its role in pain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Satellite glial cells in sensory ganglia are a recent subject of research in the field of pain and a possible therapeutic target in the future. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize some of the important physiological and morphological characteristics of these cells and gather the most relevant scientific evidence about its possible role in the development of chronic pain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In the sensory ganglia, each neuronal body is surrounded by satellite glial cells forming distinct functional units. This close relationship enables bidirectional communication via a paracrine signaling between those two cell types. There is a growing body of evidence that glial satellite cells undergo structural and biochemical changes after nerve injury, which influence neuronal excitability and consequently the development and/or maintenance of pain in different animal models of chronic pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Satellite glial cells are important in the establishment of physiological pain, in addition to being a potential target for the development of new pain treatments.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipa Alexandra Leite
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Centro de Investigação Médica da Faculdade de Medicina do Porto (CIM-FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Grupo de Morfofisiologia do Sistema Nervoso, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: fanineto@med.up.pt.
authors.forename: Fani Lourença
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Moreira Neto
keywords: Comunicação intraganglionar; Células gliais satélite; Dor; Gânglio sensitivo; Intraganglionar communication; Pain; Purinergic receptors; Receptores purinérgicos; Satellite glial cells; Sensory ganglia