Thalis Asimakopoulos, Athanasia Tsaroucha, Maria Kouri, Alberto Pasqualucci, Giustino Varrassi, Matteo Luigi Giuseppe Leoni, Martina Rekatsina
{"title":"The Role of Biomarkers in Acute Pain: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Thalis Asimakopoulos, Athanasia Tsaroucha, Maria Kouri, Alberto Pasqualucci, Giustino Varrassi, Matteo Luigi Giuseppe Leoni, Martina Rekatsina","doi":"10.1007/s40122-025-00718-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute pain, a critical aspect of patient care, presents a challenge due to its subjective nature and complex biological underpinnings. Biomarkers for acute pain promise a paradigm shift in how pain is perceived, diagnosed, and managed. The study of genetic, inflammatory, and neurotransmission markers associated with pain experience may hold the key for the development of personalized and effective pain management strategies. This narrative review explores the neurobiological pathways of acute pain, encompassing inflammatory responses and neurotransmission mechanisms. It synthesizes current research on the identification and clinical application of biomarkers, emphasizing their potential to enhance diagnostic precision, treatment effectiveness, and risk prediction. We underscore the promising role of acute pain biomarkers in identifying patients at risk for developing acute and potentially chronic pain, predicting patients' response to pharmacological interventions, and aiding in the development of novel therapeutic and pain preventive strategies. The evolving landscape of biomarker research not only deepens our understanding of pain mechanisms but also lays the foundation for more tailored and patient-specific healthcare interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19908,"journal":{"name":"Pain and Therapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pain and Therapy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-025-00718-6","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Acute pain, a critical aspect of patient care, presents a challenge due to its subjective nature and complex biological underpinnings. Biomarkers for acute pain promise a paradigm shift in how pain is perceived, diagnosed, and managed. The study of genetic, inflammatory, and neurotransmission markers associated with pain experience may hold the key for the development of personalized and effective pain management strategies. This narrative review explores the neurobiological pathways of acute pain, encompassing inflammatory responses and neurotransmission mechanisms. It synthesizes current research on the identification and clinical application of biomarkers, emphasizing their potential to enhance diagnostic precision, treatment effectiveness, and risk prediction. We underscore the promising role of acute pain biomarkers in identifying patients at risk for developing acute and potentially chronic pain, predicting patients' response to pharmacological interventions, and aiding in the development of novel therapeutic and pain preventive strategies. The evolving landscape of biomarker research not only deepens our understanding of pain mechanisms but also lays the foundation for more tailored and patient-specific healthcare interventions.
期刊介绍:
Pain and Therapy is an international, open access, peer-reviewed, rapid publication journal dedicated to the publication of high-quality clinical (all phases), observational, real-world, and health outcomes research around the discovery, development, and use of pain therapies and pain-related devices. Studies relating to diagnosis, pharmacoeconomics, public health, quality of life, and patient care, management, and education are also encouraged.
Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, acute pain, cancer pain, chronic pain, headache and migraine, neuropathic pain, opioids, palliative care and pain ethics, peri- and post-operative pain as well as rheumatic pain and fibromyalgia.
The journal is of interest to a broad audience of pharmaceutical and healthcare professionals and publishes original research, reviews, case reports, trial protocols, short communications such as commentaries and editorials, and letters. The journal is read by a global audience and receives submissions from around the world. Pain and Therapy will consider all scientifically sound research be it positive, confirmatory or negative data. Submissions are welcomed whether they relate to an international and/or a country-specific audience, something that is crucially important when researchers are trying to target more specific patient populations. This inclusive approach allows the journal to assist in the dissemination of all scientifically and ethically sound research.