Explore the groundbreaking discovery of how mitochondrial DNA ignites a cellular pathway that could be the key to understanding and potentially alleviating chronic postsurgical pain in the elderly.
– by James
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Activation of mitochondrial DNA-mediated cGAS-STING pathway contributes to chronic postsurgical pain by inducing type I interferons and A1 reactive astrocytes in the spinal cord.
Chen et al., Int Immunopharmacol 2023
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111348
Study Highlights:
- New Insight: The study provides new evidence on how the cGAS-STING pathway, activated by mitochondrial DNA leakage, contributes to chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) by promoting the generation of A1 reactive astrocytes in the spinal cord.
- Importance: Understanding this mechanism is crucial as CPSP is a significant public health concern, and the cGAS-STING pathway represents a potential therapeutic target.
- Contribution to Literature: This research builds on previous findings that A1 reactive astrocytes are involved in CPSP, by elucidating the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in this process.
Key Results:
- The cGAS-STING pathway was activated in the spinal cord after skin/muscle incision and retraction (SMIR) in rats, a model for CPSP.
- Administration of the STING inhibitor C-176 reduced type I interferons and A1 reactive astrocytes, and alleviated mechanical allodynia in SMIR rats.
- Cyclosporin A, a mitochondrial permeability transition pore blocker, also decreased mitochondrial DNA leakage and cGAS-STING pathway activation, showing analgesic effects similar to C-176.
- No synergistic effect was observed with the combined use of cyclosporin A and C-176, suggesting a common pathway.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that targeting the cGAS-STING pathway could be a promising strategy for treating CPSP, as it is implicated in the induction of A1 reactive astrocytes and type I interferons that contribute to pain.