Title:Src Family Kinases in the Central Nervous System: Their Emerging Role in Pathophysiology of Migraine and Neuropathic Pain
Volume: 19
Issue: 5
Author(s): Lingdi Nie, Wen-Rui Ye, Shangbin Chen, Domenico Chirchiglia and Minyan Wang*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Neuroscience, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou, 215123,China
Keywords:
Src family kinase, NMDA receptors, P2X receptors, neuroinflammation, migraine, neuropathic pain.
Abstract: Src family kinases (SFK) are a group of non-receptor tyrosine kinases which play a pivotal
role in cellular responses and oncogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggest that SFK also act as
a key component in signalling pathways of the central nervous system (CNS) in both physiological
and pathological conditions. Despite the crucial role of SFK in signal transduction of the CNS, the
relationship between SFK and molecules implicated in pain has been relatively unexplored. This article
briefly reviews the recent advances uncovering the interplay of SFK with diverse membrane
proteins and intracellular proteins in the CNS and the importance of SFK in the pathophysiology of
migraine and neuropathic pain. Mechanisms underlying the role of SFK in these conditions and potential
clinical applications of SFK inhibitors in neurological diseases are also summarised. We propose
that SFK are the convergent point of signalling pathways in migraine and neuropathic pain
and may constitute a promising therapeutic target for these diseases.
