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Greek Scientists Participate in Chronic Pain Research

chronic-pain-666x399Scientists in Britain, including two Greek researchers announced that they are developing a new very promising drug therapy, which may be used to help people who suffer from chronic pain. Although for now, the treatment has only been tested on animals, it appears to be very promising.

The drug was based on the study of a woman who cannot feel any pain due to a rare mutation. There are only a few people across the world who cannot feel pain because of this mutation and as a result, they are prone to injuries.

The researchers, led by Professor John Wood of London’s University College, published their paper in Nature Communications. They managed to identify the biological key that allows this woman to not feel pain and they believe that it can be used to help other patents. The Greeks who participated in the discovery are researchers Alexandros Kanellopoulos and Giorgos Baskozos.

The research team genetically modified the nervous system of mice so that they would not feel pain. Then they developed a dual drug that had the same effect on non-transgenic mice. These drugs combine traditional opioids but to a low dosage with the so-called “Nav1.7 inhibitors.”

The Nav1.7, plays a key role in pain and it acts as a “channel” for ions, carrying electrical signals along the sensory nerves that lead to the brain. If the channel does not work, then the patient cannot feel pain.

The research team aims to create a drug that will block this channel effectively. Their plan is to begin clinical trials in 2017.

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