Pain on/off switch discovered

HealthDaily News:

U.S. researchers say they've identified a protein in nerve cells that acts as a kind of gatekeeper for chronic pain.

This enzyme, called protein kinase G (PKG), is turned on and activated in response to injury or inflammation. Once activated, PKG triggers other processes that generate pain messages that are sent to the brain. As long as PKG is switched on, pain persists. Turning PKG off relieves pain.

"We're very optimistic that this discovery and our continued research will ultimately lead to a novel approach to pain relief for the millions suffering from chronic pain," researcher Richard Ambron, professor of cell biology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said in a prepared statement.

...

I bet Saddam wishes his people could have discoverd this so he could flip the "on" switch. However, I am sure the primary focus of this research will be on switching the pain off.

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