The somatosensory system mediates fundamental physiological functions, including the
senses of touch, pain and proprioception. This variety of functions is matched by a diverse …

Conopeptides are a diverse group of recently evolved venom peptides used for prey capture
and/or defense. Each species of cone snails produces in excess of 1000 conopeptides, with …

Mechanical stimuli drive many physiological processes, including touch and pain sensation,
hearing, and blood pressure regulation. Mechanically activated (MA) cation channel …

Piezo proteins have recently been identified as ion channels mediating mechanosensory
transduction in mammalian cells. Characterization of these channels has yielded important …

Mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs) exist in all cells, but mechanosensitivity is a
phenotype not a genotype. Specialized mechanoreceptors such as the hair cells of the …

Background Meningeal and other trigeminal nociceptors are thought to play important roles
in the initiation of migraine headache. Currently, the only approved peripherally …

A variety of mechanosensory neurons are involved in touch, proprioception, and pain. Many
molecular components of the mechanotransduction machinery subserving these sensory …

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), derived from Clostridium botulinum, has been used
therapeutically for focal dystonia, spasticity, and chronic migraine. Its spectrum as a potential …

Mechanical allodynia (other pain) is a painful sensation caused by innocuous stimuli like
light touch. Unlike inflammatory hyperalgesia that has a protective role, allodynia has no …

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) contributes to mechanical hyperalgesia
of diverse etiologies, presumably as part of a mechanoreceptor signaling complex. To …