5 February 2014 Last updated at 01:42
Pain
'dimmer switch' discovered by UK scientists
About one in five people suffer from acute or chronic pain
Pain sensitivity is controlled
by a genetic "dimmer switch", which can be re-set, UK scientists have
said.
Twins sharing 100% of genes have
different pain thresholds, which can potentially be altered by lifestyle or
medication, say researchers at King's College, London.
The study could lead to new
painkillers or lifestyle interventions, they report in Nature Communications.
One in five of the population
suffers from acute or chronic Lead researcher Dr Jordana Bell said the
potential to regulate genes involved in pain sensitivity "is very exciting
and could lead to a more effective pain relief treatment for patients suffering
with chronic pain".
Sensitivity
to pain is complex, with wide individual variation. Previous studies have
suggested about half of the influence is explained by genes.
To
identify levels of sensitivity to pain, scientists tested 25 pairs of identical
twins using a heat probe placed on the arm.
Identical
twins share 100% of their genes; therefore any difference between identical
twins must be due to their environment or changes affecting the function of
their genes.
Study
participants were asked to press a button when the heat became painful for
them, which allowed the researchers to determine their pain thresholds.
Using
DNA sequencing, the researchers examined the whole genetic codes (genomes) of
the twins and compared them with 50 unrelated individuals.
The
research team found chemical changes within nine genes involved in pain
sensitivity that were different in one twin but not in her identical sister.
These
were most significant within a known pain sensitivity gene, which is already a
target for the development of new painkillers.
Research
into the switching on and off of genes, a process known as epigenetic
regulation, is a big growth area for the development of new medicines.
'Landmark' study
Tim
Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said
epigenetic switching is "like a dimmer switch for gene expression".
"This
landmark study shows how identical twins, when combined with the latest
technology to look at millions of epigenetic signals, can be used to find the
small chemical switches in our genes that make us all unique - and in this case
respond to pain differently."
The
chemical changes act like a "thermostat" or "dimmer switch"
to set an individual's pain sensitivity, Prof Spector added.
"Using
drugs or changes in lifestyle, we might be able to reset that thermostat,
allowing that person in the future to feel less pain," he told BBC News.
"The
epigenetic changes are potentially reversible."
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