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Abstract
A remarkable series of findings over the last decade or so has demonstrated a previously
unrecognized role for CNS glia in many aspects of neuronal functioning including pain
processing. In addition to their recruitment to sites of CNS damage, these cells also
appear to be capable of "action at a distance," playing functional roles in areas
of CNS that are quite remote from the focus of injury or disease. The implication
is that the nervous system is able to initiate signals that alter the function of
these glial cells, and these cells in turn release factors that regulate neuronal
function. This idea has taken root, resulting in an explosion of research interest,
and here we look critically at what has been reported in order to assess where knowledge
is missing or uncertain.