Swiss scientists have found a substance, which, in mice, blocks chronic pain but do not appear to cause any of the unwanted side effects of existing painkillers, a study said on Wednesday.
Researchers led by Hanns Zeilhofer at the University of Zurich found the compo0und after exploring the way pain signals travel unto to brain via the spinal cord.
Normally the spinal cord acts as a kind of filter, ensuring that not all painful signals coming from the periphery of the body reach the brain.
If these neurological gatekeepers were totally absent, even the lightest touch on the skin would make us wince with discomfort.
But in patients with chronic pain, this filter function is impaired, meaning that the spinal cord is like an open channel for pain signals.
Worldwide, one in five people suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, nerve damage caused by injuries, diabetes and other diseases.
To offer a solution, the researchers focused on molecule called GABA that can inhibit pain signals.
The researchers hope to make a drug that could be used for chronic pain without losing potency or making people sleepy.
Although the experiments on mice were successful, the next big challenge will be to develop drugs, which work in humans.
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