MicroRNA's big role in pain

In Science this month, Karolinska Institute researchers uncovered the mechanism of a microRNA complex in pain and showed it functions in a neuronal population not currently targeted by any therapeutics. The authors believe the neurons could be as important in neuropathic pain as classic nociceptors.

According to study leader Patrik Ernfors, his group was the first to characterize how light touch sensitive neurons contribute to neuropathic pain. "The pharmaceutical industry and research community have been studying the nociceptors, the ones known to transduce pain, but the light touch neurons haven't been studied much," he told BioCentury...