Scientists Identify Painโข Receptor,โ Pavingโฃ Way for Healing-Friendly โฃPain Relief
FLORENCE, โขITALY – researchers โhaveโ pinpointed a specific โฃreceptor responsible for pain signaling without hinderingโ the body’s natural inflammatory response, offering a potential โbreakthrough in pain management andโฃ a path away fromโ the โขsideโข effects of conventional painkillers.โ The discovery,led byโข scientistsโฃ at the Universityโฃ of Florence and NYU College of Dentistry,focuses on theโ EP2 receptor within Schwann cells – nerve โcells crucial in conditions โlike โmigraine andโ arthritis.
For โขdecades, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugsโค (NSAIDs) โlike aspirin and ibuprofen have been relied upon for pain relief, with over 30 billion doses consumedโ annually in the US alone. Though, long-term use carries notable risks, including stomach damage, bleeding, and potential heart, kidney, and liver problems. These drugs work by suppressing prostaglandin production, which reduces both inflammation and โpain.
“Inhibition of inflammation can actually slow down recovery,” explainedโ Professor โPiaranglo Geppetti of theโค University of Florence. “A better strategy is to โฃonly target pain, without โdisturbing the benefits of inflammation.”
The research team discoveredโฃ that blocking theโ EP2 receptor locally in Schwann cells eliminated โขpain in experimental animals whileโข allowing โinflammation to proceed normally. โฃThis “separation” of pain and inflammation represents a significant advancement.
“Disabling EP2 receptors inโข Schwannโฃ cells really removesโ pain due to prostaglandins, without affecting inflammation. This is an crucial breakthrough,” Geppetti stated.
Nigel Bunnett, a professor at NYU College of Dentistry, emphasized the importance of inflammation itself, stating, “inflammation, which actually helps recovery, is an important step.”
Scientists are โnow working to develop drugs specifically targetingโค EP2 receptors, with potentialโค applications for conditions like โarthritis and migraine.While still โขin the pre-clinical stage, theโ research offers โฃhope for a new generation of painkillers that couldโข control pain without the severe side effects associated withโ NSAIDs.