Gene therapy promises to eliminate chronic pain without side effects

University of California researchers have successfully tested a gene therapy technology to relieve chronic pain in a discovery that could allow a major breakthrough in the field of pain relievers.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego used a new gene therapy technique that reduced nerve pain from spinal cord or other nerve injuries in mice — and without detectable side effects.

"The research is very interesting because it may lead to new treatment options for the myriad of patients who suffer from chronic pain, numbness or muscle weakness as a result of spinal cord injury," Futurzyme said.

Treatment for nerve damage or dysfunction, known as neuropathy, often leads to side effects due to constant use of medications, particularly of the opioid class of painkillers - which are particularly effective painkillers - to addiction problems.

But thanks to scientific advances in the field of pain treatment, pain researchers have been able to focus on the origin of neuropathic pain from spinal cord injuries, and have opened the doors to a new generation of post-opioid therapies.

Martin Marsala, senior author of a new paper on the research published in the Journal of Molecular Therapy, said in a statement.

"The invention of a single treatment that provides a long-term therapeutic effect is highly desirable," Marsala added.

As for the research, the team injected a genetically modified virus into mice that were experiencing nerve pain from damage to the sciatic nerve, a large nerve at the base of the spine often associated with back pain in humans.

The virus contained two natural genes, called GAD65 and VGAT, that can produce a chemical acid that appears to be able to suppress neurons that signal pain in mice.

According to the journal, the results were promising, as the mice experienced a significant reduction in nerve damage-related pain for at least 2.5 months.

They also did not experience any side effects such as a "significant decrease in movement performance or loss of normal touch or heat sensation for up to 13 months," according to the paper.

The researchers also pointed out that the success of this treatment in laboratories may give a good chance of success in humans as well.

But researchers still have a lot of scientific and regulatory work to do before this technology becomes a treatment for humans.

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