Method for inducing pain by optogenetic stimulation of spinal astrocytes and method for screening analgesic using it

摘要

The present invention relates to a pain causing method through an optogenetic stimulus of an astrocyte inside a spinal cord, and a pain prevention agent or medicine screening method using the same. More particularly, the screening method for a pain prevention agent or medicine comprises: a step (a) of expressing a light-activated ion channel by transforming astrocytes existing in the spinal cord of a mammal except for human into a vector including light-activated ion channel genes; a step (b) of causing pain by applying a light stimulus to the spinal cord of the mammal in order to activate the astrocytes; a step (c) of administering candidate substances of a pain prevention agent or medicine into the mammal; and a step (d) of selecting a substance showing a pain reducing effect by comparing the mammal with fauna which is administered with a control substance. Therefore, the screening method is able to be usefully utilized for screening of a pain prevention agent or medicine by reproducing activation of neuroglia cells appearing in the pathological process of pain with very high correlation with the reality.