| Title |
Targeting chronic and neuropathic pain: The N-type calcium channel comes of age
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Neurotherapeutics, October 2005
|
| DOI | 10.1602/neurorx.2.4.662 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Terrance P. Snutch |
| Abstract |
The rapid entry of calcium into cells through activation of voltage-gated calcium channels directly affects membrane potential and contributes to electrical excitability, repetitive firing patterns, excitation-contraction coupling, and gene expression. At presynaptic nerve terminals, calcium entry is the initial trigger mediating the release of neurotransmitters via the calcium-dependent fusion of synaptic vesicles and involves interactions with the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor complex of synaptic release proteins. Physiological factors or drugs that affect either presynaptic calcium channel activity or the efficacy of calcium-dependent vesicle fusion have dramatic consequences on synaptic transmission, including that mediating pain signaling. The N-type calcium channel exhibits a number of characteristics that make it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention concerning chronic and neuropathic pain conditions. Within the past year, both U.S. and European regulatory agencies have approved the use of the cationic peptide Prialt for the treatment of intractable pain. Prialt is the first N-type calcium channel blocker approved for clinical use and represents the first new proven mechanism of action for chronic pain intervention in many years. The present review discusses the rationale behind targeting the N-type calcium channel, some of the limitations confronting the widespread clinical application of Prialt, and outlines possible strategies to improve upon Prialt's relatively narrow therapeutic window. |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 174 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 7 | 4% |
| United States | 3 | 2% |
| Australia | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 163 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 40 | 23% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 30 | 17% |
| Student > Bachelor | 18 | 10% |
| Student > Master | 16 | 9% |
| Other | 13 | 7% |
| Other | 26 | 15% |
| Unknown | 31 | 18% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 50 | 29% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 24 | 14% |
| Neuroscience | 16 | 9% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 14 | 8% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 9 | 5% |
| Other | 23 | 13% |
| Unknown | 38 | 22% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 March 2023.
All research outputs
#8,262,445
of 25,374,917 outputs
Outputs from Neurotherapeutics
#756
of 1,307 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#24,630
of 70,235 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Neurotherapeutics
#7
of 9 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,917 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 66th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,307 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 18.2. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 70,235 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 9 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 2 of them.