Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (trkA), a high affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF), has been implicated in neuronal survival, neurite outgrowth and inflammatory pain.
Recently, antibodies targeting nerve growth factor (NGF) have been shown to effectively relieve neuropathic and inflammatory pain states in mice and in humans.
Endogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to be an important mediator of inflammatory pain and exogenous application of recombinant human NGF (rhNGF) produces pain and hyperalgesia in animals and humans.