Rutgers researchers have discovered a groundbreaking new approach to managing the receptors responsible for the sense of touch, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of chronic pain.
According to Tibor Rohacs, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, identifying a natural molecule that specifically reduces pain sensitivity provides hope for innovative therapeutic strategies in pain management. He believes that these findings could pave the way for more effective treatments that significantly improve the quality of life for individuals suffering from chronic pain.
The study, led by doctoral student Matthew Gabrielle in Tibor Rohacs’ laboratory, focused on the role of phosphatidic acid in modulating the activity of touch-sensing ion channels in the body. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, revealed that increasing phosphatidic acid levels in cells decreased their sensitivity to touch.
Experiments on sensory neurons and mice further confirmed this discovery, demonstrating that inhibiting phosphatidic acid formation led to heightened touch sensitivity in the animals. This groundbreaking research underscores the critical role that lipids play in regulating somatosensation, the body’s ability to perceive touch, temperature, and pain.
Gabrielle emphasized the potential of targeting natural pathways that control these channels to develop more precise and effective pain treatments, particularly for conditions involving inflammatory pain. These findings could offer new hope for individuals for whom current pain relief options are inadequate.
