Millions of people around the world live with chronic nerve pain, also called neuropathic pain.
This type of pain happens when nerves outside the brain are damaged. It can be long-lasting and very hard to treat, often making everyday life difficult.
Doctors often try medicines like gabapentin or duloxetine to manage this kind of pain. But these drugs don’t always work well and can cause side effects like tiredness, dizziness, or changes in mood.
Sometimes, doctors use opioid painkillers, but these carry serious risks, including addiction and overdose. Because of these problems, scientists have been searching for better and safer treatments.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Burke Neurological Institute have made an exciting discovery. They have developed a new drug that may relieve nerve pain without the risks linked to opioids.
This breakthrough came from an unexpected link between pain science and oceanography. The scientists focused on special proteins called HCN ion channels. These proteins help control nerve signals.
When they become too active, they can send too many pain signals, leading to chronic pain. But HCN channels are also found in the brain and heart. Blocking them in the wrong places could cause serious side effects like drowsiness or heart problems.
To solve this problem, the team, led by Dr. Gareth Tibbs, created a new drug called BP4L-18:1:1. This drug is designed to calm overactive nerve cells without affecting the brain or heart.
They started with a well-known drug called propofol, which is used to help people sleep during surgery. Then, they changed it by adding a “chemical anchor” that keeps the drug from entering the brain. This way, the drug can work only on the nerves that are causing the pain.
You can think of it like anchoring a boat. The anchor keeps the boat in the right place, just like the chemical anchor keeps the drug in the right part of the body.
When tested in rats, the drug worked very well to reduce nerve pain. It was taken by mouth and caused no harmful side effects. This is a big deal because it means the drug could be safer than many current options.
The researchers are now planning to test the drug in humans. If it proves to be safe and effective, it could offer a whole new way to treat chronic nerve pain. Dr. Steven Fox, founder of Akelos (the company helping develop the drug), said that the treatment targets the cause of pain without causing harm.
The research was supported by the Daedalus Fund for Innovation, which helps scientists turn their discoveries into real treatments for patients.
If everything goes well, this drug could bring new hope to millions of people suffering from nerve pain, helping them live better, more comfortable lives.
If you care about pain, please read studies about Chronic morphine use for cancer pain may increase bone loss and findings of Scientists find a new hope for chronic pain.
For more about pain, please read studies about What you need to know about diabetes and joint pain and findings of Understanding the connection between liver disease and joint pain.
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