Columbia University Researchers Discover On-off Switch For Chronic Pain
This seems like really big news, that holds loads of potential for understanding (and eventually curing or at least alleviating) fibromyalgia, so I wanted to share it.
Source: Science Daily
Date: July 20, 2006
URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060720095621.htm
Ref: The paper of Sung, Chiu en Ambron can be found in Neuroscience,
Vol. 141, #2, 697-709,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03064522
Columbia University Researchers Discover On-off Switch For Chronic Pain
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic pain affects approximately 48 million people in the U.S. and
current medications are either largely ineffective or have serious side
effects. But researchers from Columbia University Medical Center have
discovered a protein in nerve cells that acts as a switch for chronic
pain, and have applied for a patent to develop a new class of drugs that
will block chronic pain by turning this switch off. The discovery is
published on the website of the journal Neuroscience, and will appear in
the publication's August issue.
Most prior attempts at alleviating chronic pain have focused on the
"second order" neurons in the spinal cord that relay pain messages to the
brain. It's difficult to inhibit the activity of these neurons with drugs,
though, because the drugs need to overcome the blood-brain barrier.
Instead, the CUMC researchers have focused on the more accessible "first
order" neurons in the periphery of our body that send messages to the
spinal cord.
Pain becomes chronic when the activity of first and second order neurons
persists after damaged neuron heals or the tissue inflammation subsides.
It's been known for years that for chronic pain to persist, a master
switch must be turned on inside the peripheral neurons, though until now
the identity of this switch remained a mystery. Richard Ambron, Ph.D.,
professor of cell biology, and Ying-Ju Sung, Ph.D., assistant professor,
both in the department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, have now discovered
that the switch is an enzyme called protein kinase G (PKG).
"We're very optimistic that this discovery and our continued research will
ultimately lead to a novel approach to pain relief for the millions
suffering from chronic pain," said Dr. Ambron.
The researchers found that upon injury or inflammation, the PKG is turned
on and activated. Once activated, these molecules set off other processes
that generate the pain messages. As long as the PKG remains on, the pain
persists. Conversely, turning the PKG off relieves the pain, making PKG an
excellent target for therapy.
Dr. Ambron and Dr. Sung have applied for a patent for the pathway that
turns on the PKG, as well as several molecules that inhibit it.
Based on the 2004 Americans Living with Pain Survey, 72 percent of people
with chronic pain have lived with it for more than three years, including
a third who have lived with pain for more than a decade. Yet nearly half
of people with pain do not consult a physician for several months or
longer, despite the impact the pain has on their lives.
The worldwide painkiller market was worth $50 billion in 2005 and is
expected to increase to $75 billion by 2010 and $105 billion by 2015. But
none of the existing drugs on the market are adequate to deal with chronic
pain. Cox-2 inhibitors carry severe risk of side effects, opioids are
highly addictive, Tylenol is ineffective for chronic pain, and other pain
drugs cause significant drowsiness.
--------
(c) 2006 Science Daily
Other links on this topic:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522092/
http://www.scientistlive.com/15964/protein-acts-as-chronic-pain-switch.thtml
Source: Science Daily
Date: July 20, 2006
URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060720095621.htm
Ref: The paper of Sung, Chiu en Ambron can be found in Neuroscience,
Vol. 141, #2, 697-709,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03064522
Columbia University Researchers Discover On-off Switch For Chronic Pain
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic pain affects approximately 48 million people in the U.S. and
current medications are either largely ineffective or have serious side
effects. But researchers from Columbia University Medical Center have
discovered a protein in nerve cells that acts as a switch for chronic
pain, and have applied for a patent to develop a new class of drugs that
will block chronic pain by turning this switch off. The discovery is
published on the website of the journal Neuroscience, and will appear in
the publication's August issue.
Most prior attempts at alleviating chronic pain have focused on the
"second order" neurons in the spinal cord that relay pain messages to the
brain. It's difficult to inhibit the activity of these neurons with drugs,
though, because the drugs need to overcome the blood-brain barrier.
Instead, the CUMC researchers have focused on the more accessible "first
order" neurons in the periphery of our body that send messages to the
spinal cord.
Pain becomes chronic when the activity of first and second order neurons
persists after damaged neuron heals or the tissue inflammation subsides.
It's been known for years that for chronic pain to persist, a master
switch must be turned on inside the peripheral neurons, though until now
the identity of this switch remained a mystery. Richard Ambron, Ph.D.,
professor of cell biology, and Ying-Ju Sung, Ph.D., assistant professor,
both in the department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, have now discovered
that the switch is an enzyme called protein kinase G (PKG).
"We're very optimistic that this discovery and our continued research will
ultimately lead to a novel approach to pain relief for the millions
suffering from chronic pain," said Dr. Ambron.
The researchers found that upon injury or inflammation, the PKG is turned
on and activated. Once activated, these molecules set off other processes
that generate the pain messages. As long as the PKG remains on, the pain
persists. Conversely, turning the PKG off relieves the pain, making PKG an
excellent target for therapy.
Dr. Ambron and Dr. Sung have applied for a patent for the pathway that
turns on the PKG, as well as several molecules that inhibit it.
Based on the 2004 Americans Living with Pain Survey, 72 percent of people
with chronic pain have lived with it for more than three years, including
a third who have lived with pain for more than a decade. Yet nearly half
of people with pain do not consult a physician for several months or
longer, despite the impact the pain has on their lives.
The worldwide painkiller market was worth $50 billion in 2005 and is
expected to increase to $75 billion by 2010 and $105 billion by 2015. But
none of the existing drugs on the market are adequate to deal with chronic
pain. Cox-2 inhibitors carry severe risk of side effects, opioids are
highly addictive, Tylenol is ineffective for chronic pain, and other pain
drugs cause significant drowsiness.
--------
(c) 2006 Science Daily
Other links on this topic:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522092/
http://www.scientistlive.com/15964/protein-acts-as-chronic-pain-switch.thtml