慢性疼痛是臨床上常見的難題，給人們的生活及工作帶來了極大困擾。它是由組織損傷或潛在的組織損傷所引起，發(fā)生機制主要有中樞敏化和外周敏化兩方面，研究表明中樞敏化過程在慢性疼痛的形成過程中起重要作用。cAMP反應元件結合蛋白（cAMP response element-binding protein，CREB）是一種細胞核內轉錄因子，通過自身磷酸化激活，對細胞內的信號通路及突觸可塑性產(chǎn)生較大的影響，在慢性疼痛中樞敏化形成過程中起重要作用。CREB重要的上游信號分子細胞外信號調節(jié)激酶（extracellular signal regulated kinase，ERK）能將細胞外的各種刺激轉化為細胞內的不同反應，參與細胞增殖、分化和神經(jīng)突觸可塑性。近年來研究表明ERK-CREB信號通路通過痛覺基因的調控、突觸可塑性改變參與中樞敏化的形成。總結了關于ERK-CREB信號通路參與中樞敏化的研究進展、詳細闡述了慢性疼痛的基本特點，ERK-CREB信號通路的一般特性及參與中樞敏化的形成，并總結目前ERK-CREB信號通路參與中樞敏化的研究局限，提出研究展望。

Chronic pain is a common clinical issue,leading to great burden of people's life.Chronic pain is caused by (potential) tissue damage,and the main hypothesis of it is central sensitization and peripheral sensitization.Studies have proven that the central sensitization process plays an important role in the progression of chronic pain.cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB),a nuclear transcription factor which is activated by autophosphorylation,has a great effect on intracellular signaling pathways and synaptic plasticity,and it is critical in the progression of central sensitization.Extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK),an important upstream signaling molecule of CREB,can transmit various extracellular stimuli into different intracellular responses,and regulate cell proliferation,differentiation and synaptic plasticity.Recent studies have shown that the involvement of ERK-CREB signaling pathway in regulation of pain-related gene expressions,the changes in synaptic plasticity,and the progression of central sensitization.This review summarizes the advance studies of ERK-CREB signaling pathway in central sensitization,describes the characteristics of chronic pain and ERK-CREB signaling pathway and how it participates in central sensitization.We summarize the limitations of ERK-CREB signal pathway documenting in the central sensitization in current studies and propose research prospects.