Beyond Opioids: The New Gene Therapy That Relieves Pain Without the Addiction

From SciTechDaily

The new method is designed to focus specifically on pain-related signals, without interfering with normal activity in other parts of the brain.

A new preclinical study has identified a gene therapy approach that focuses directly on pain-processing regions of the brain while avoiding the addiction risks associated with narcotic drugs. The advance could eventually benefit more than 50 million Americans who live with chronic pain.

Living with chronic pain is often compared to hearing a radio blaring at full volume with no way to turn it down. Opioid drugs such as morphine lower that volume by dulling pain signals, but they also influence many other brain systems, which can lead to serious side effects and dependence.