FLICKR, NANNY SNOWFLAKE
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have alleviated chronic pain in mice by transplanting neurons into their spinal cords. The study, which is published today in Neuron, could lead to better treatments for neuropathic pain, the persistent condition caused by nerve injuries, where pain occurs spontaneously or at the lightest touch.
The transplanted cells released a signalling chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which silences excitable neurons. This inhibition is often missing in neural diseases like epilepsy and chronic pain, leading to uncontrolled neural activity.
Many drugs for chronic pain also increase GABA signalling, but these “alleviate the symptoms without acting on the cause,” said Allan Basbaum, who led the new study. “In contrast, our approach restores the inhibitory control that is missing ...
