Re: [CH] Chile Pain Killer ?
Art Pierce (pierces@cruzio.com)
Wed, 17 May 2000 05:24:23 -0700
> There was an article in the New Zealand Herald yesterday about a protein
> that responds to capsaicin being developed as a pain killer. The URL is
> http://www.herald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=137159 and the story is
> credited to Reuters. Lots of yucky stuff in there about testing on
>genetically modified mice also.
>Ian Sinclair
~~~
Off-Subject and apologies in advance for this diversion.
More yucky stuff on our collective nociceptive systems:
Null Mutants,
Multisyllabicism
and
WTMI (Waaaaay Too Much Information)
~~~
National Institute of Dental Research,
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Request
PAIN AND HEAT: A GENETIC LINK
Not all gene discoveries relate to development or disease.
One of the more striking findings in the past year solves a mystery
that has long puzzled neuroscientists: How do we sense burning heat?
It turns out it's by the same mechanism that makes a chili pepper taste fiery.
When you touch a hot stove you excite a receptor on the surface
of sensory nerve cells that will also react to the chemical in peppers
that makes them hot--capsaicin. NIDR-sponsored scientists have now isolated
and cloned the gene for the capsaicin receptor (technically known as
vanilloid receptor 1--VR1) enabling them to study how the receptor works.
Investigators now suspect that VR1-receptor- bearing nerve cells are involved
in a number of chronic pain conditions, especially where inflammation plays a role,
from viral and diabetic neuropathies and rheumatoid arthritis to oral mucositis pain
caused by head and neck radiation or cancer chemotherapy. Interestingly,
[OR MAYBE NOT]
continued stimulation of capsaicin receptors can lead to cell death, which is
the reason that capsaicin is being used as an ingredient in salves and chewing gum
to relieve burning pain. With the new understanding of the pain-heat genetic link,
still better approaches to relieve chronic pain may be on the horizon.
~~~
John N.Wood, Department of Biology, University College, London
New analgesic drugs are necessary because a number of pain states are untreatable.
Genetic approaches to the identification of analgesic drug targets include
mapping genes involved in human pain perception (e.g., trkA involved
in hereditary neuropathies), identifying regulators of sensory neuron function
in simple multicellular organisms and then investigating the activity of their
mammalian homolog (e.g., POU domain transcription factors that specify
sensory cell fate), as well as difference, expression, and homology cloning
of receptors, ion channels, and transcription factors present in sensory neurons.
After target validation through the construction of null mutant mice,
high-throughput cell-based screens can be used to identify potential drug
candidates. As a result of these approaches , a number of receptors and
ion channels present in sensory neurons such as voltage-gated sodium channels
[sensory neuron specific (SNS) and NaN] and ATP-gated (P2X3),
capsaicin-gated [vanilloid receptor 1(VR1)], and proton-gated [acid-sensing
ion channel (ASIC)] channels are now under investigation as potential new
analgesic drug targets.
~~~
Do you keep developing increasing tolerance for ever-hotter chiles?
http://student.biology.arizona.edu/honors98/group12/pepper.html
~~~
Lollipop patent:
http://www.biomedpatent.com/5762963.htm
~~~
How long before we start using stronger vanilloid agonists
like olvanil (NE-19550) &/or resiniferatoxin (RTX)
instead of capsaicin extract to make hotter sauces?
&
Will Depends (adult diaper for overactive bladder)
go out of business?
http://www.4adi.com/flr/VRflr.html
http://www.nenlifesci.com/products/radioligand/net_1132.htm
http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00204/bibs/0074001/00740040.htm
http://www.tocris.com/cat/vanilltxt.html
http://www.afferon.com/Pages/technol.htm
~~~
Do "they" want to take our chiles from us?
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/
http://www.hedweb.com/hedab.htm
~~~
Art