Within the past few years, it has become recognized that the immune
system communicates to the brain. Substances released from activated
immune cells (cytokines) stimulate peripheral nerves, thereby signaling
the brain and spinal cord that infection/inflammation has occurred.
Additionally, peripheral infection/inflammation leads to de novo
synthesis and release of cytokines within the brain and spinal cord.
Thus, cytokines effect neural activation both peripherally and
centrally. Through this communication pathway, cytokines such as
interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor markedly alter
brain function, physiology and behavior. One important but
underrecognized aspect of this communication is the dramatic impact that
immune activation has on pain modulation. The purpose of this book is to
examine, for the first time, immune-to-brain communication from the
viewpoint of its effect on pain processing. It is aimed both at the
basic scientist and health care providers, in order to clarify the major
role that substances released by immune cells play in pain modulation.
This book contains chapters contributed by all of the major laboratories
focused on understanding how cytokines modulate pain. These chapters
provide a unique vantage point from which to examine this question, as
the summarized work ranges from evolutionary approaches across diverse
species, to the basics of the immune response, to the effect of
cytokines on peripheral and central nervous system sites, to therapeutic
potential in humans.
