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Review
. 2023 Mar 22;13(3):565.
doi: 10.3390/jpm13030565.

Targeted Therapy for Orofacial Pain: A Novel Perspective for Precision Medicine

Swarnalakshmi Raman  1 , Daisuke Ikutame  1 , Kazuo Okura  1 , Yoshizo Matsuka  1
Affiliations
Review

Targeted Therapy for Orofacial Pain: A Novel Perspective for Precision Medicine

Swarnalakshmi Raman et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

Orofacial pain (OFP) is a dental specialty that includes the diagnosis, management and treatment of disorders of the jaw, mouth, face, head and neck. Evidence-based understanding is critical in effectively treating OFPs as the pathophysiology of these conditions is multifactorial. Since OFP impacts the quality of life of the affected individuals, treating patients successfully is of the utmost significance. Despite the therapeutic choices available, treating OFP is still quite challenging, owing to inter-patient variations. The emerging trends in precision medicine could probably lead us to a paradigm shift in effectively managing the untreatable long-standing pain conditions. Precision medicine is designed based on the patient's genetic profile to meet their needs. Several significant relationships have been discovered based on the genetics and genomics of pain in the past, and some of the notable targets are discussed in this review. The scope of this review is to discuss preclinical and clinical trials that include approaches used in targeted therapy for orofacial pain. Future developments in pain medicine should benefit from current trends in research into novel therapeutic approaches.

Keywords: literature review; neuropathic pain; orofacial pain; pain; personalized care; personalized medicine; precision medicine; targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential targets of orofacial pain. VGSC: voltage-gated sodium channel; VGKC: voltage-gated potassium channel; VGCC: voltage-gated calcium channel; TRP: transient receptor potential channels; SNP: single-nucleotide polymorphism; SPR: sepiapterin reductase; GCH1: GTP cyclohydroxylase 1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scheme for various perspectives for effective precision medicine. Various factors include databases by health systems, nutrition, epigenetics and genetics. A multifaced approach would aid in the diagnosis of the potential target, leading to an effective individualized treatment for each patient.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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