neuropathic pain tagged posts

Transplant Drug may provide benefits after Spinal Cord Injury

The structure of rapamycin. (Fvasconcellos/Wikimedia Commons)

The structure of rapamycin. (Fvasconcellos/Wikimedia Commons)

New research in mice indicates that a drug commonly used to suppress the immune system in recipients of organ transplants may also reduce tissue damage and neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. Rapamycin, which is an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, has a variety of cellular functions and is known to possess both immunosuppressant and anti-tumor properties. In their previous work, investigators at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan found that rapamycin treatment can reduce nerve damage and locomotor impairment after spinal cord injury...

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New Target for Reducing Nerve Pain identified

Mice received injections of drugs that specifically block the activity of two different molecules. Blocking those molecules reduced pain symptoms coming from nearby nerves. Credit: Hiroshima University

Mice received injections of drugs that specifically block the activity of two different molecules. Blocking those molecules reduced pain symptoms coming from nearby nerves. Credit: Hiroshima University

A specific molecule involved in maintaining pain after a nerve injury has been identified and blocked in mice by Hiroshima University researchers. These results reveal a promising therapeutic strategy for treating neuropathic pain. Mice with an injury to their sciatic nerve showed less pain after multiple injections of a drug that blocks the activity of a molecule called high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1). Researchers also discovered that a single dose of a drug to block the activity of a different molecule, called matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), could also alleviate pain from the injury.

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