Publications
APS Bulletin • Volume 15, Number 3, Summer 2005
Resource Reviews
John D. Loeser, MD, Department Editor
Hyperalgesia: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications
Reviewed by Charles Chavkin, PhD
Kay Brune and Hermann O. Handwerker (Eds.), Seattle, WA, IASP Press, 2004, 397 pages, $71.00 IASP members, $89.00 nonmembers (hard cover) ISBN 0-931092-50-7.
Hyperalgesia: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications, which was skillfully edited by Kay Brune and Hermann Handwerker, has 26 chapters written by 85 authors. The volume is based on the 2003 IASP Research Symposium held September 6–9, 2003, in Erlangen, Germany. At that conference, clinicians, basic scientists, clinical pharmacologists, psychologists, and human geneticists from all over the world gathered to share insights on the mechanisms underlying hyperalgesia. After dedicating the first chapter to defining the terms hyperalgesia and allodynia for the reader, the editors divided the book into four parts: “Molecular Basis of Nociceptive Transduction,” “Hyperalgesia as a Consequence of Nociceptor Plasticity,” “Hyperalgesia as a Consequence of Peripheral Input and Central Processing,” and “The Role of the Brain in Hyperalgesia.” The result is a satisfying and complete synopsis of our current knowledge about the physiology and biochemistry of hyperalgesia and the implications of those insights for treatments. No volume summarizing the presentations made at a research conference can substitute for the experience of attending the meeting and witnessing the debates and discussions that result when experts gather on a topic that is still poorly understood. Nevertheless, for those who were unable to attend, a collection of essays can provide a useful snapshot of the field.
The section on the molecular events provides current reviews of the proton-gated heat sensor transient receptor vanilloid 1, formerly known as the capsaicin or vanilloid receptor, adenosine triphosphate-gated P2X3 receptor subunit channels, sodium channels, and the prostaglandin receptors.
The book’s scope includes specific signal transduction mechanisms responsible for changing the sensitivities of these receptors and the implications for peripheral hyperalgesia. The book also covers the properties of proinflammatory cytokines. The result is a succinct and readable synopsis of recent advances in the characterization of the key molecular players thought to play a role in sensitization. The chapters clearly describe the rapid progress being made.
The section on nociceptor plasticity reviews changes in gene expression, neuropeptide release and function, and functional changes in primary afferents associated with cold hyperalgesia, inflammatory bowel disease, and metastatic destruction of tissues. The authors address concisely the large and complex topic of the reorganization of the nociceptive system following tissue damage. In the two sections on changes in peripheral inputs and spinal and central mechanisms, the authors explore hyperalgesia from a wide variety of perspectives. These include a chapter on long-term potentiation and long-term depression mechanisms of spinal cord synaptic plasticity. They also review the roles of transmitter systems (including calcitonin-gene related peptide, nitric oxide, opioid peptides, and glycine) in mediating the functional changes evident in acute and chronic pain models in several chapters. Also included are chapters reviewing results from human imaging studies.
In the modern era, when researchers and clinicians have increased access to the primary research literature through familiar Internet search routines, the need for a collected volume of reviews might be diminishing. This limitation is particularly true if the chapters present unrefereed descriptions of an author’s own work. This book rises above those limitations. This collection of information is likely to save readers research time, as the editors have compiled a one-volume, state-of-the art assessment of hyperalgesia literature. By filtering the primary literature and presenting a highly readable synopsis, the reader can quickly gain an appreciation of the latest advances and remaining challenges. The authors and editors should be justifiably proud of this volume.
Charles Chavkin, PhD, is the Allen and Phyllis Treuer Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Washington, Seattle.
Reviewer content represents the opinion of the reviewer, not APS.
Please direct your suggestions for future Resource Reviews to John D. Loeser, MD, Department Editor, at jdloeser@u.washington.edu