Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important for intracellular signal transduction
and play critical roles in regulating neural plasticity and inflammatory responses. The MAPK
family consists of three major members: extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), p38,
and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which represent three separate signaling pathways.
Accumulating evidence shows that all three MAPK pathways contribute to pain sensitization
after tissue and nerve injury via distinct molecular and cellular mechanisms. Activation …