November 28, 2014 at 12:46Scientists have found a way to “turn off” neuropathic pain
Scientists have discovered a possible way to block neuropathic pain in the brain of animals caused by chemotherapeutic agents and bone cancer. The discovery can affect the elimination of this type of pain in humans.
Neuropathic pain occurs as a result of the pathological excitation of neurons in the nervous system, responsible for the usual pain that occurs as a response to physical effects. Scientists have shown that stimulating the adenosine A3 receptor in the brain and spinal cord eliminates pain without being addictive, unlike opioids.
Pain is a huge problem, as it causes not just a bad mood, but also a loss of performance. The bulk of modern ways to stop pain has similar effects, including the body’s addiction to drugs and the need to increase the dose to obtain an effect. The most successful approaches work with “pathways” in the nervous system: these are calcium channel blockers, opioid receptors, and adrenergic receptors.
Adenosine already had potential as a painkiller for humans, but scientists have not worked with this method so far, since exposure to adenosine receptors can cause a huge number of side effects. A new study showed that activation of the A3 receptor in the brain and spinal cord of rodents prevents pain from nerve damage - a source of chronic pain.
The experiment was conducted on rats of the breed Sprague Dawley and mouse Salvatore. The animals were damaged by nerves, causing various types of chronic pain, after which they were treated with A3 receptors. Adenosine kinase inhibitor ABT-702 was able to relieve animals from pain. Now the thing is small: check the efficiency of the method on living people.
Neuropathic pain occurs as a result of the pathological excitation of neurons in the nervous system, responsible for the usual pain that occurs as a response to physical effects. Scientists have shown that stimulating the adenosine A3 receptor in the brain and spinal cord eliminates pain without being addictive, unlike opioids.
Pain is a huge problem, as it causes not just a bad mood, but also a loss of performance. The bulk of modern ways to stop pain has similar effects, including the body’s addiction to drugs and the need to increase the dose to obtain an effect. The most successful approaches work with “pathways” in the nervous system: these are calcium channel blockers, opioid receptors, and adrenergic receptors.
Adenosine already had potential as a painkiller for humans, but scientists have not worked with this method so far, since exposure to adenosine receptors can cause a huge number of side effects. A new study showed that activation of the A3 receptor in the brain and spinal cord of rodents prevents pain from nerve damage - a source of chronic pain.
The experiment was conducted on rats of the breed Sprague Dawley and mouse Salvatore. The animals were damaged by nerves, causing various types of chronic pain, after which they were treated with A3 receptors. Adenosine kinase inhibitor ABT-702 was able to relieve animals from pain. Now the thing is small: check the efficiency of the method on living people.