Take Two of These

There's a lot of pain in this world but scientists may have come up with a breakthrough at managing the chronic pain that afflicts some of us feel via reverse engineering.

Amazingly enough, some people in the world never feel pain because of a genetic mutation that results in a lack of ion channels (Nav1.7 channels) transporting sodium across sensory nerves. The first thought was that drugs to block the Nav1.7 channels would yield huge gains in pain management, but there was only limited success with these compounds. 

Researchers went back to the drawing board and, using mice genetically modified to block the Nav1.7 channels, did further research that discovered a second major physical condition present in these unfeeling mice -  substantially more genes that trigger the manufacture of opioid peptides, which are natural painkillers that our bodies produce. 

With this discovery in hand, they went to a human volunteer who suffered from the Nav1.7 mutation and gave her a drug (naxalone) which blocked the opioid peptides and voila', for the first time in 39 years she was able to feel pain!

The reverse, of course, should be true and apparently it is. If you give a human synthetic opioids together with Nav1.7 channel blockers there is very substantial relief from chronic pain. 

More research is needed to assure that there are no long or short term side effects but it looks like a promising new approach to pain management may have arrived none too soon.

www.newscientist.com/article/dn28623-woman-who-has-never-felt-pain-experiences-it-for-the-first-time/