Demonstration of Congenital Analgesia
Researchers have identified a new gene mutation through a girl who does not feel physical pain and may be able to use this information in developing new painkillers that will block out pain signals. When someone is diagnosed with not being able to feel physical pain, they are classified with having congenital analgesia. Often people who have this injure themselves very badly through being unaware. Researchers compared the gene sequence of the girl with the disorder against those of her parents. Once analyzed, they identified the gene mutation called SCN11A. This gene controls the channels on pain-sensing neurons where sodium ion travels through to create nerve impulses sent to the brain. Once the body contains a mutated version of this gene, the buildup of charge needed for the neurons to transmit an electrical impulse to the brain. To verify their results, researchers inserted a mutated version of SCN11A into mice and tested their ability to perceive pain and analyzed mice with the normal SCN11A and their reaction to pain. Their findings showed 11 percent of the mice with the mutated genes developed injuries similar to the people with congenital analgesia and the mice with the normal SCN11A reacted to pain instantly. Although researchers were able to test this mutated gene in mice, humans develop a degree of pain insensitivity more prominently than mice. Now the teams next goal is to try and develop drugs that can block SCN11A, but not other sodium channels. Geoffrey Woods, of the University of Cambridge, says “There are three ion channels called SCN9A, 10A and 11A, on pain-sensing neurons. People experience no pain when either of the first two don't work, and agonising pain when they're overactive. With this new gene, it's the opposite: when it's overactive, they feel no pain." This mutated gene is the start for advancements pharmaceuticals and could potentially become the next best analgesic.
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I find the whole idea of not feeling any pain extremely fascinating. This article reminded me of an episode of House I think it was, where the little girl could not feel any pain, even though she has bruises and terrible wound marks on her body. This new research can definitely become tremendously useful in the medical field for the future. To feel no pain would be quite remarkable, but I wonder if maybe the downside to that could be the fact that when you don't feel pain you won't know when something negative happens to your body. It would take a lot of time to figure out how to create an drug that could reduce pain in a positive way.
ReplyDeleteThough I find this concept of pain management to be interesting and possibly a way for people who are experiencing pain to get help I find a down fall to the drug. Giving people a drug that makes them feel no pain would lead to more people injuring themselves badly and they wouldn't even know it, but if scientists could find a happy medium between not feeling the unwanted pain and feeling other pains that maybe caused by injury then the drug maybe okay for people to use.
ReplyDeleteYou sometimes hear of people that don't feel pain but I've always found it something hard to believe up until I read this article. It's very interesting how it works and that people don't feel pain due to a mutation. But is it really a good thing not to feel any pain? What if it is a serious injury that could kill you otherwise? I feel like pain is a natural response that the body has to let us know that something is wrong. Without it, we can injure ourselves even more. However if it would help people that have headaches or every day pain, if they come up with a drug, it would be very beneficial for them. I agree with Melissa R. that it would be good and okay to find a happy medium.
ReplyDeleteAs I come across this article, it actually reminded me of someone I once knew that could not feel pain. He actually broke his hand and went a month without even knowing! I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I wasn't able to sense pain. As far as I know, I have a pretty good tolerance to pain, but to not feel it at all is amazing to hear! With this gene mutation we can create endless possibilities for people who experience chronic pain. Chronic pain seems to be a huge dilemma around the world and researchers are still trying to figure out ways to cope with it. Hopefully this opens up a new field for researchers trying to diagnose pain.
ReplyDeleteI do not know how i feel about this article. People that have this disease can not feel pain and that could be a major issue for them and possibly even life threatening. I feel that pain is something that we all learn from. Pain is a natural reaction and a negative reinforcement. If you were to touch a hot stove and get burnt you know not to touch that hot stove again. I also feel that painkiller are abused in today's society. People take painkillers and become addicted to them and at removed from reality. I feel that if they make another painkiller especially to this extent, it will just cause more of a alternate reality. People need to feel pain to know when something is wrong. I do understand that some people need painkillers, but I do not think that pain should be eliminated.
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