Better understanding the transition from acute to chronic pain
Researchers at the Montpellier Institute of Neuroscience (University of Montpellier/Inserm) have demonstrated the key role played by the FLT3 receptor in the chronicity of post-surgical pain. By inhibiting this receptor using therapeutic antibodies, scientists could offer promising avenues for the prevention of chronic pain. Their findings are to be published in the journal Progress in Neurobiology.
Chronic pain is severe pain that persists for more than three months. Approximately 30% of patients who undergo surgery will develop this type of pain following their operation. In this study led by Cyril Rivat, Professor the University of Montpellier, scientists shed light on the mechanisms that enable a better understanding of the onset of chronic post-operative pain and suggest ways to alleviate it.
According to the results of this research conducted on an animal model, repeated exposure to pain (repeating the same surgery at one-week intervals) creates long-term vulnerability, which manifests as increased sensitivity to pain and the onset of anxiety and depression. The FLT3 receptor expressed by certain sensory neurons plays a key role in this phenomenon. Specifically, surgery induces activation of the FLT3 receptor in the affected nerve fibers, which not only increases the initial pain but also causes it to become chronic.
Antibodies directed against FLT3
In collaboration with the Montpellier Cancer Research Institute and Biodol Therapeutics, therapeutic antibodies targeting the FLT3 receptor have been developed. These antibodies inhibit FLT3 activation, significantly reducing pain intensity and halting the transition to chronic pain. The principle is simple: unlike morphine or any other type of painkiller, these antibodies do not enter the brain but target damaged nerves in the peripheral nervous system. FLT3 is therefore a promising target not only for the management of post-operative pain but also for the prevention of its chronicity.
"These results are still preliminary, but if confirmed, they could help many patients suffering from chronic pain, especially when you consider that around 300 million surgeries are performed each year worldwide ," says Cyril Rivat.
Practical information:
"Activation of neuronal FLT3 promotes exaggerated sensory and emotional pain-related behaviors facilitating the transition from acute to chronic pain" is already available in its entirety in English and will be published in the scientific journal Progress in Neurobiology, volume 222, in March 2023, 102405.
Authors: Adrien Tassou, Maxime Thouaye, Damien Gilabert, Antoine Jouvenel, Jean-Philippe Leyris, Corinne Sonrier, Lucie Diouloufet, Ilana Mechaly, Sylvie Mallié, Juliette Bertin, Myriam Chentouf, Madeline Neiveyans, Martine Pugnière, Pierre Martineau, Bruno Robert, Xavier Capdevila, Jean Valmier, Cyril Rivat.
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