Researchers at Yale University have discovered a hidden mechanism that regulates pain signals in the body. The work was published in Nature Communications (Natcom).
The team led by Candy Constantinople has studied the protein tide, which is the main component of nerve cells, which allows calcium to pass and cause pain and inflammation. However, too much calcium can damage cells, so nature must be developed to stop it.
Scientists have found that Calmodulin protein plays a key role. It connects to a certain part of the TRPA1 channel and "closes" it after the calcium. If it doesn't happen, the channel remains open too long, which can lead to chronic pain.
To confirm this version, researchers have changed the TRPA1 so Calmodulin will not be able to stick. In this case, the channel becomes hyperactive and does not turn off, imitating the chronic pain mechanism.
According to Constantinople, the discovery explains why in some cases the signals of pain "decay" and turn into stable inflammatory processes. This can also help develop new ways to combat chronic pain.
Translation: Euromedia24.com
