Gene therapy of neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury

Neuropathic pain (NPP) following spinal cord injury (SCI) is caused by damage to or dysfunction of the nervous system. Despite years of research, this type of neurological disorder remains refractory to treatment and persists for decades. Moreover, many spinal cord injury victims suffer from life-threatening side effects of traditional pharmacologic treatments—including addiction to multiple prescription drugs—in an attempt to alleviate neuropathic pain. In recent years, considerable research bodies have been dedicated to the discovery and understanding of neuropathic pain mechanisms that gave impetus for advances in treatment. Gene therapy is designed for genetic improvement through the correction of altered (mutated) genes or site-specific modifications that target therapeutic treatment. This chapter presents an overview of the currently available gene therapy strategies against neuropathic pain induced by spinal cord injury.