Sensitivity to pain is determined by genetic structure

Gene studies show that pain sensitivity is determined by the genetic makeup of the compound with key differences caused by the different forms of the individual genes, Health Europe reported.

According to Professor Luda Diatchenko, from the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain in Montreal, Canada, the results of genetic studies have been used – and hopefully will continue to be used – to develop new drugs to treat chronic pain.

“Why, for example, does one person with minimal tissue damage from arthritis suffer debilitating chronic pain, while another patient with major damage reports very little pain? If we can discover the molecular and cellular events that lead humans to develop chronic pain, then we can develop and prescribe medicines that fit the genetic and molecular pain profile of individual patients more precisely.”

She added that “when comparing whole genomes, there is significant correlation between the hereditary information encoded in both mouse and human DNA. This means that using animal models to study human pain genomics is extremely valuable.”