Description:

"Neuroimmunity in Pain: Role of Natural Killer Cells and Oral Microbiota"

Recently, role of neuroimmune interaction has been the subject of significant interest in pain research. We have demonstrated the resolution of persistent painful neuropathy through the clearance of partially damaged sensory nerves by innate immune natural killer (NK) cells (Davies et al., 2019, 2020). Based on this work, I will present sciatic partial crush injury (PCI) model as a new preclinical model which is suitable to study both peripheral nerve regeneration and pain in the spinal system (Kim et al., 2021, 2023a), and also discuss potential therapeutic targets for NK cells which might be utilized for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain (Kim et al., 2023b). Further translational and clinical research, along with mechanistic studies in preclinical models, are required to address whether NK cell immunotherapy is a promising alternative to opioid drugs for the effective management of chronic neuropathic pain. 

It is well known that direct sensing of pathogens by nociceptive neurons modulate pain and inflammation during bacterial infection. Distinctive bacterial communities are formed in oral microenvironment and pain responses differ by oral diseases: while tooth pain from acute pulpitis and dentin hypersensitivity produces intense pain, periodontitis is not usually accompanied by pain. In the second part of this talk, I will also present our ongoing works on differential roles of oral microbiota in tooth pain and periodontal pain.

Seog Bae OH
Professor, Pain Laboratory
Director, Medical Research Center (MRC)
Department of Neurobiology and Physiology School of Dentistry,
Seoul National University