Gene Vital in Pain-sensing Neuron production in Humans Discovered
An international team of researchers has studied people who are unable to feel pain. While carrying out the study, the researchers have found a gene, which is important to make our brain sensitive to pain.
Study’s author Ya-Chun Chen from University of Cambridge said the discovery could lead to discovery of new pain relief methods. “This could potentially benefit those who are at danger from lack of pain perception and help in the development of new treatments for pain relief”, said Chen.
Inability to feel pain is an inherited condition known as congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). People who suffer from this condition often suffer from many self-inflicted injuries, leading to reduced lifespan.
In the research, the study researchers have evaluated genetic makeup of 11 families affected by CIP in Europe and Asia. After studying them, the researchers pinpointed towards the cause of the condition to variants of the gene PRDM12.
The researchers said families affected by CIP were having two copies of the variant. But if they would just acquired one copy from their parents then they would have been able to feel the pain. It was found that people affected by CIP were not having specific pain-sensing neurons.
Geoff Woods from University of Cambridge affirmed that having sense to feel pain is vital for self-preservation. Woods affirmed that the research findings are vital to come up with new pain treatments.
Pain perception is important as it alerts us to risks in the environment and potential tissue damage. But there are rare individuals who suffer from CIP. In the UK, one in a million people are affected by this condition.
Study researchers are quite hopeful that this new gene could prove an excellent candidate for drug development.