Uncovering the Mechanisms of Adenosine Receptor-Mediated Pain Control: Focus on the A3 Receptor Subtype.

ABSTRACT: Agonists of the Gi protein-coupled A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) have shown important pain-relieving properties in preclinical settings of several pain models. Active as a monotherapy against chronic pain, A3AR agonists can also be used in combination with classic opioid analgesics. Their safe pharmacological profile, as shown by clinical trials for other pathologies, i.e., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and fatty liver diseases, confers a realistic translational potential, thus encouraging research studies on the molecular mechanisms underpinning their antinociceptive actions. A number of pathways, involving central and peripheral mechanisms, have been proposed. Recent evidence showed that the prototypical A3AR agonist Cl-IB-MECA and the new, highly selective, A3AR agonist MRS5980 inhibit

SUBMITTER: Coppi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8347395 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature