ArticleExperimental neurology2012
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is essential for inflammatory and neuropathic pain and enhances pain in response to stress.
Article in Experimental neurology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Macrophage migration inhibitory factor as a therapeutic target after traumatic spinal cord injury: a systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2021Pooled it
- Aerobic exercise is associated with divergent regulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and enhanced remyelination in experimental autoimmune neuritis.Bioscience reports · 2026Article
- Immune profiling in trigeminal neuralgia reveals altered cytokine and chemokine signatures in cerebrospinal fluid and serum.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Glial Activation Enhances Spinal TRPV1 Receptor Sensitivity in a Paclitaxel Model of Neuropathic Pain.Physiological research · 2025Article
- Article
- Possible Clinical Effects of Ketoconazole on Sorafenib-induced Hand-Foot Skin Reaction and Cytoprotection Mechanisms of Antifungal Agents against Multikinase Inhibitor-induced Keratinocyte Toxicity.Acta dermato-venereologica · 2025Article
- Diabetic neuropathy: cutting-edge research and future directions.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2025Review
- Plasma proteins and persistent postsurgical pelvic pain among adolescents and young adults with endometriosis.American journal of obstetrics and gynecology · 2024Observational
- MIF-Modulated Spinal Proteins Associated with Persistent Bladder Pain: A Proteomics Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- The role of PAR2 in regulating MIF release in house dust mite-induced atopic dermatitis.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Deep Neuromuscular Block Attenuates Chronic Postsurgical Pain and Enhances Long-Term Postoperative Recovery After Spinal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Pain and therapy · 2023Article
- Bladder Oxidative Stress and HMGB1 Release Contribute to PAR4-Mediated Bladder Pain in Mice.Frontiers in systems neuroscience · 2022Article
- Altered Differentiation of Tendon-Derived Stem Cells in Diabetic Conditions Mediated by Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
- Molecular Mechanisms of Astaxanthin as a Potential Neurotherapeutic Agent.Marine drugs · 2021Review
- Intravesical CD74 and CXCR4, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) receptors, mediate bladder pain.PloS one · 2021Article
- Antagonism of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factory (MIF) after Traumatic Brain Injury Ameliorates Astrocytosis and Peripheral Lymphocyte Activation and Expansion.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Article
- Peripheral mechanisms contribute to comorbid visceral hypersensitivity induced by preexisting orofacial pain and stress in female rats.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2020Article
- Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Alters Functional Properties of CA1 Hippocampal Neurons in Mouse Brain Slices.International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Article
- Spinal macrophage migration inhibitory factor and high mobility group box 1 mediate persistent bladder pain.Neuroscience letters · 2019Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Stress and glucocorticoids exacerbate pain via undefined mechanisms. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a constitutively expressed protein that is secreted to maintain immune function when glucocorticoids are elevated by trauma or stress. Here we show that MIF is essential for the development of neuropathic and inflammatory pain, and for stress-induced enhancement of neuropathic pain. Mif null mutant mice fail to develop pain-like behaviors in response to inflammatory stimuli or nerve injury. Pharmacological inhibition of MIF attenuates pain-like behaviors caused by nerve injury and prevents sensitization of these behaviors by stress. Conversely, injection of recombinant MIF into naïve mice produces dose-dependent mechanical sensitivity that is exacerbated by stress. MIF elicits pro-inflammatory signaling in microglia and activates sensory neurons, mechanisms that underlie pain. These data implicate MIF as a key regulator of pain and provide a mechanism whereby stressors exacerbate pain. MIF inhibitors warrant clinical investigation for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.