Knock out gene to knock out chronic pain

摘要

GOOD news: losing a single gene seems to block chronic nerve-related pain in mice. Bad news: you might need it to keep your heart beating. Neuropathic pain - chronic pain caused by nerve damage - is a significant problem, affecting around 8 per cent of Europeans. Four HCN genes that code for proteins which form ion channels in neurons could be involved, because these channels are vital for electrical signalling in nerves.