New Research: Neuropathy Pain-Relieving Cells Discovered in Japan
Neuropathic pain is a disorder characterized by abnormal pain perception, which can cause extreme pain to even mild stimuli and bring great discomfort to daily life. Now, the cells needed for natural recovery from pain have been identified in a Japanese study.In April, a research project led by Professor Makoto Tsuda and Takahiro Masuda, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, identified the cells needed for natural recovery from pain. The results were published in the journal Science in March. The researchers found that some activated microglia in the spinal cord of mice with nerve injury changed and began to form a specialized subset. The timing of these changes correlated with the duration of pain reduction. The researchers proved the role of this microglial subset by removing it from the spinal cords of mice. After the removal, they observed that the pain did not naturally subside and persisted for a long time. Although microglia have long been thought to be the culprit in the development of chronic pain, the researchers found that even if the nerves are damaged, the pain can be gradually and naturally relieved in mice. After further detailed study, they found that when the mice experienced pain relief, part of the changes in microglia produced a substance called IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which effectively relieved pain. According to the research team, nerve damage caused by cancer, diabetes, herpes zoster, and brain infarction can lead to long-term pain. This chronic pain, known as neuropathic pain, cannot be suppressed by normal antipyretic pain relievers, and even strong drugs like morphine do little to help. However, if compounds can be found that increase the number of microglia subsets, more IGF1 could be produced, leading to the development of effective treatments for chronic pain. It follows a study of nociceptive nerves by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which found that nerve damage can cause sensory neurons previously thought to be unrelated to pain to start transmitting pain signals. This happens due to a family of small RNA molecules called microRNA (nucleotide). Instead of being translated into proteins, these coding fragments are involved in regulating the expression of other genes. In particular, the microRNA-183 (miR-183) in microRNA plays a major role in this process. The research is published in the journal Science. The study shows that microRNA levels drop after nerve injury, leading to an increase in certain ion channels. Elevated ion channel density can transform sensory neurons into nociceptive transmitter neurons. Chronic pain is often associated with a number of diseases, such as rheumatic pain and migraine, Dr. Zheng Jie, MD, of the University of Tokyo, told The Epoch Times. “In the treatment of these diseases, pain-related treatment is very important,” he said. “However, existing drugs are not ideal for the treatment of chronic pain due to a series of side effects. This study by the collaborative team of Kyushu University is the first in the world to find cells needed for natural recovery from pain, which is expected to bring a new direction to the treatment of chronic pain patients.”
Udumbara
Neuropathic pain is a disorder characterized by abnormal pain perception, which can cause extreme pain to even mild stimuli and bring great discomfort to daily life. Now, the cells needed for natural recovery from pain have been identified in a Japanese study.
In April, a research project led by Professor Makoto Tsuda and Takahiro Masuda, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, identified the cells needed for natural recovery from pain. The results were published in the journal Science in March.
The researchers found that some activated microglia in the spinal cord of mice with nerve injury changed and began to form a specialized subset. The timing of these changes correlated with the duration of pain reduction. The researchers proved the role of this microglial subset by removing it from the spinal cords of mice. After the removal, they observed that the pain did not naturally subside and persisted for a long time.
Although microglia have long been thought to be the culprit in the development of chronic pain, the researchers found that even if the nerves are damaged, the pain can be gradually and naturally relieved in mice. After further detailed study, they found that when the mice experienced pain relief, part of the changes in microglia produced a substance called IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which effectively relieved pain.
According to the research team, nerve damage caused by cancer, diabetes, herpes zoster, and brain infarction can lead to long-term pain. This chronic pain, known as neuropathic pain, cannot be suppressed by normal antipyretic pain relievers, and even strong drugs like morphine do little to help. However, if compounds can be found that increase the number of microglia subsets, more IGF1 could be produced, leading to the development of effective treatments for chronic pain.
It follows a study of nociceptive nerves by scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which found that nerve damage can cause sensory neurons previously thought to be unrelated to pain to start transmitting pain signals.
This happens due to a family of small RNA molecules called microRNA (nucleotide). Instead of being translated into proteins, these coding fragments are involved in regulating the expression of other genes. In particular, the microRNA-183 (miR-183) in microRNA plays a major role in this process. The research is published in the journal Science.
The study shows that microRNA levels drop after nerve injury, leading to an increase in certain ion channels. Elevated ion channel density can transform sensory neurons into nociceptive transmitter neurons.
Chronic pain is often associated with a number of diseases, such as rheumatic pain and migraine, Dr. Zheng Jie, MD, of the University of Tokyo, told The Epoch Times.
“In the treatment of these diseases, pain-related treatment is very important,” he said.
“However, existing drugs are not ideal for the treatment of chronic pain due to a series of side effects. This study by the collaborative team of Kyushu University is the first in the world to find cells needed for natural recovery from pain, which is expected to bring a new direction to the treatment of chronic pain patients.”
