Voltage-gated sodium channels and pain.

Painful stimuli are detected by specialized neu- rons, nociceptors, and are translated into action poten- tials, that are conducted along afferent pathways into the central nervous system, where they are conceived as pain. Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV channels) are of par- amount importance for nociceptor function, as they are responsible for the generation of action potentials and for their directed propagation. The exceptional role of sodium channel subtypes NaV 1.7, NaV 1.8 and NaV 1.9 in the trans- mission of nociceptive signals has been emphasized by a variety of studies that associated genetically-induced mal- function of these channels with various pain diseases. In the following, structure and function of subtypes NaV 1.7, NaV 1.8 und NaV 1.9 are briefly reviewed, associated pain diseases are introduced and current and future NaV -based strategies for the treatment of pain are discussed.