Neuroimmune interactions in Neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain resulting from peripheral nerve injury is a complex condition driven by neuroimmune interactions, with macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) playing a pivotal pro-inflammatory role. Our study investigated the therapeutic potential of ISO-1, a high-affinity small-molecule MIF inhibitor, in mitigating chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Our  findings underscore the critical role of MIF in neuroinflammation and highlight ISO-1 as a promising therapeutic agent with differential efficacy based on sex. This work contributes to the growing understanding of immune-neural crosstalk in neuropathic pain and supports the development of targeted, gender-informed therapies.