RNA-binding proteins as targets for pain therapeutics

RNA-protein interactions permeate biology. Transcription, translation, processing, and mRNA decay all hinge on widespread use of regulatory information decoded by RNA-binding proteins. The final committed step of protein synthesis, translation, is intimately linked to nociceptor excitability. Understanding the factors that control translation is essential as nociceptor plasticity is a hallmark of persistent pain. Here, we review the growing body of evidence for widespread involvement of RNA-binding proteins in pain. Many of the relevant factors have been implicated in post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms of mRNA control. We propose that recent advances in the development of RNA-based therapeutics provide a potential means to exploit our current understanding of liaisons between RNAs and proteins for therapeutic purposes.