GABAB Receptors and Pain.

A substantial fraction of the human population suffers from chronic pain states, which often cannot be sufficiently treated with existing drugs. This calls for alternative targets and strategies for the development of novel analgesics. There is substantial evidence that the G protein-coupled GABAB receptor is involved in the processing of pain signals and thus has long been considered a valuable target for the generation of analgesics to treat chronic pain. In this review, the contribution of GABAB receptors to the generation and modulation of pain signals, their involvement in chronic pain states as well as their target suitability for the development of novel analgesics is discussed.