Control of Mechanical Pain Hypersensitivity in Mice through Ligand-Targeted Photoablation of TrkB-Positive Sensory Neurons

Source: Nature Communications
Abstract: Mechanical allodynia is a major symptom of neuropathic pain whereby innocuous touch evokes severe pain. Here we identify a population of peripheral sensory neurons expressing TrkB that are both necessary and sufficient for producing pain from light touch after nerve injury in mice. Mice in which TrkB-Cre-expressing neurons are ablated are less sensitive to the lightest touch under basal conditions, and fail to develop mechanical allodynia in a model of neuropathic pain.
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