New study shows how scientists discovered the secret to feeling no pain in life.
Scientists coming from the University College London (UCL) have found the answer to having a painless life. In the said study, genetically modified mice were used in order to show a certain channel responsible for the feeling of pain and agony.
Last 2006, a certain study had already shown that a specific channel called Nav1.7 is an important aspect in signalling humans to feel pain. But because of some failed clinical trials, the research was stopped and postponed.
Recently, a team of scientists went back to study again Nav1.7 channels. In the latest research, the scientists have found out that the sample mice who lack Nav1.7 produced a higher levels of opioid peptides.
In order to test if opioids are really an important factor to painlessness, the experts provided the mice naloxone, a synthetic drug that blocks the opioid. The experiment showed that those mice who have been added with naloxone felt pain.
To test it to humans, the scientists gave the naloxone to a 39-year-old woman. The woman is said to have a rare genetic mutation in which she feels no physical pain in her entire life. After treating the patient with naloxone, she then felt pain for the first time in her life.
In a statement, professor John Wood confirmed that Nav1.7 channel is one of the key element in human pain.
"After a decade of rather disappointing drug trials, we now have confirmation that Nav1.7 really is a key element in human pain," said by the senior author of the study.
The study which was published in the journal of Nature Communications hopes that it will officially have clinical trials for humans in the year 2017.
