Researchers at the Kolling Institute have taken an important step towards the development of safer, non-addictive pain medications by increasing their understanding of spinal cord pain signalling.
The findings follow the latest figures indicating more than 20 per cent of the population experience chronic pain, impacting their ability to work, care for families and generally function.
Dr Karin Aubrey said many people currently rely on opioids, like morphine and codeine, to reduce their pain.
“We know however, that these medications have serious side effects and in many cases offer only limited help,” she said.
“Our team, including senior researcher Dr Yo Otsu, is committed to advancing our understanding of how pain signals travel through the body, so that we can use this information to develop safe, new medications.”
This unique study used advanced techniques to unravel the spinal pain control circuit, and determine how opioids affect a key descending pain pathway.
Researchers found the pathway could enhance and reduce spinal signalling.
“Our spinal cords are an incredible information highway, responsible for relaying sensory, motor and pain information to the brain,” Karin said.
“The connections that make up the circuits of the spinal cord are all jumbled together and it’s difficult to unravel them and map how each connection contributes to controlling pain signals in the spinal cord.
“In this study, we’ve identified how a particular point in the spinal pain circuit is controlled by opioids, giving us a clearer picture of how a good pain medication might work.
