Papers of the Week

Peripheral and central nociceptive sensitization is a critical pathogenetic component in osteoarthritis (OA) chronic pain. T-type calcium channel 3.2 (Ca3.2) regulates neuronal excitability and plays important roles in pain processing. We previously identified that enhanced T-type/Ca3.2 activity in the primary sensory neurons (PSNs) of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) is associated with neuropathic pain behavior in a rat model of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee OA. PSN-specific T-type/Ca3.2 may therefore represent an important mediator in OA painful neuropathy. Here, we test the hypothesis that the T-type/Ca3.2 channels in PSNs can be rationally targeted for pain relief in MIA-OA.