Abstract :
Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is defined as chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region lasting for at least 12 weeks. It is reported that the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) is elevated in patients who are in chronic pain state. NGF may regulate pain through nociceptor sensitization. Recent trials suggest promising results about anti-NGF as CLBP therapy. This study aims to review the possibility of anti-NGF antibody as a therapy of CLBP. The authors searched articles from Pubmed literature database with keywords of “treatment”, “nerve growth factor”, “anti-NGF antibody”, and “chronic low back pain”. Keywords were then combined using OR and AND with Boolean logic to find the specific articles. Articles were then gathered and selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criterias. The efficacy observed in some clinical trials of anti-NGF shows that NGF plays a role in certain types of CLBP. NGF is released by immune cells as part of the inflammatory response following peripheral nerve injury. Although the role of anti-NGF in chronic pain signaling is not clearly defined, NGF is believed play a role in chronic pain by promoting neuronal sensitization and by driving local neuronal sprouting at sites of inflammation and possibly within the central nervous system. Therefore, the anti-NGF antibody has the potential to become CLBP therapy.
