A novel mechanism for chronic pain regulation

Chronic pain is a disease with limited treatments available, and it affects 32% of Chileans.

TRPV1 is a heat-sensitive membrane receptor that has been reported as involved in several models of heat pain, both chronic and acute.

According to the authors, the enzyme PDI (Protein Dithiol Isomerase) would be a novel participant in chronic pain regulation, activating TRPV1 allosterically (ligand-independent), which would lead to heat hyperalgesia (increase pain in response to noxious heat).

Authors

Yongxue Zhang, Qi Miao, Sai Shi, Han Hao, Xinmeng Li, Zeyao Pu, Yakun Yang, Hailong An, Wei Zhang, Youzhen Kong, Xu Pang, Cunyang Gu, Nikita Gamper, Yi Wu, Hailin Zhang, Xiaona Du.