Analgesic Potential Sodium Channel SCN9A

Abstract

Chronic pain is one of the most complex clinical conditions to manage, it can affect approximately 20% of the population and it has a high economic cost. In recent years, the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 has been proposed as a possible therapeutic target against pain, due to the evidence that certain mutations in the gene that encodes it are associated to chronic pain or the absence of this, depending to its nature. Several molecules have been discovered - both synthetic and natural-with selective inhibitory potential, which may to contribute in searching an effective treatment without side effects against chronic pain.