Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can suppress orofacial pain rapidly -- within one day of treatment -- by either IV injection of cells or direct injection of cells to the injured site, according to a study published online July 26 in Stem Cells.
Researchers from Boston University School of Dental Medicine and University of Maryland School of Dentistry simulated two types of pain: myogenic pain (by ligating the masticatory muscle tendon) and neuropathic pain (by ligating the nerve on the face).
In rat models, the pain never returned after stem cell injection. However, in the untreated group, the pain lasted up to 22 weeks, or the length of the experimental period, according to co-author Wei Guo and colleagues.
The researchers also found that this pain suppression is in part mediated through the endogenous opioid system operated centrally (in the brain) and peripherally (at the injured site). Further mechanisms to explain how this works are now under investigation.
The next step is a clinical trial to treat recalcitrant orofacial pain, the researchers noted.
