Chronic pain affects millions worldwide, and current treatments often rely on opioids, which carry risks of addiction and overdose. Non-addictive alternatives could revolutionize pain management, and new research targeting the human protein which regulates cold sensations, brings scientists closer to developing pain medications that don't affect body temperature and don't carry the risks of addiction. Research published in Science Advances on June 21, led by Wade Van Horn, professor in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, has uncovered new insights into the main human cold and menthol sensor TRPM8 (transient receptor potential melastatin 8).
Using techniques from many fields like biochemistry and biophysics, their study revealed that it was a chemical sensor before it became a cold temperature sensor. "If we can start to understand how to decouple the chemical sensing of cold from actual cold sensing, in theory, we could make side-effect-free drugs," said Van Horn whose research focuses on membrane proteins involved in human health and disease. "By understanding the evolutionary history of TRPM8, we hope to contribute to designing better drugs that offer relief without the dangerous side effects associated with current painkillers.
" When a person touches a metal desk and it feels cold, the human body activates TRPM8. For cancer patients who are on certain kinds of chemotherapeutics, touching a desk can hurt.