title: C5a and pain development: An old molecule, a new target.
abstract: Pain is a distressing sensation, resulting from real or potential tissue damage. It is crucial to protect our body, but it can be so intense that it requires treatment. Furthermore, in some circumstances, pain can become persistent/chronic, such as that triggered by inflammatory disease or neuropathy. Treatments for pain are still a clinical challenge. An advance in the knowledge of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the genesis of acute and chronic pain might be the fundamental approach for developing novel classes of analgesic drugs. In this context, there is emerging evidence indicating that C5a, a component of the complement system, and its cell membrane receptor, C5aR, play a critical role in the genesis of acute and chronic pain states. Thus, this review will describe the mechanisms by which C5a/C5aR signaling participates in the cascade of events involved in the pathophysiology of acute (postoperative), inflammatory and neuropathic pain states. Furthermore, it will also highlight the current possibilities for the development of a novel class of analgesic drugs that target C5a/C5aR signaling.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Andreza U
authors: AU
authors: Quadros
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: thicunha@fmrp.usp.br.
authors: Thiago M
authors: TM
authors: Cunha
mesh_terms: D059787:Acute Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D015936:Complement C5a / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D044087:Receptor, Anaphylatoxin C5a / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D044087:Receptor, Anaphylatoxin C5a; D015936:Complement C5a
keywords: C5a; C5a receptor; Complement system; Inflammatory pain; Neuropathic pain; Post-operative pain