Mitochondrial DNA release contributes to neuropathic pain via a cGAS-STING-IRF3-CMPK2-associated immunometabolic feedback mechanism
Bo Wang, Hui Zeng, Hongrui Zhan, Yin Xu, Ziwei Hu, Jiahui Pang, Zhichao Zhang, Yan Ma, Wen Wu · 2026
Read Mitochondrial DNA release contributes to neuropathic pain via a cGAS-STING-IRF3-CMPK2-associated immunometabolic feedback mechanism by Bo Wang, Hui Zeng, Hongrui Zhan, Yin Xu, Ziwei Hu, Jiahui Pang, Zhichao Zhang, Yan Ma, Wen Wu (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13374242.txt.
Description
Bo Wang and colleagues trace a feedback loop linking mitochondrial damage to nerve pain in mice in a 2026 study. Nerve injury drives spinal cord inflammation, yet how mitochondrial failure sustains that inflammation was unclear. A peripheral nerve injury model was used, with mitochondrial integrity, DNA release, and cGAS-STING-IRF3 signalling examined by imaging, molecular work, and single-cell sequencing.
Injury damaged spinal mitochondria, spilling mitochondrial DNA into the cell interior and switching on the cGAS-STING-IRF3 pathway. IRF3 bound the CMPK2 promoter and raised CMPK2 expression, suggesting a loop that keeps inflammation going. Silencing CMPK2 and blocking the pathway with NDGA were tested for pain relief. The loop offers a new target for neuropathic pain that persists long after injury.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Bo Wang, Hui Zeng, Hongrui Zhan, Yin Xu, Ziwei Hu, Jiahui Pang, Zhichao Zhang, Yan Ma, Wen Wu |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 78 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |