Frozen Shoulder Blog

Scientists Discover Substance That Causes Pain

Posted 28 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 28 – The human body produces a substance similar to capsaicin – which makes chili peppers hot – at sites of pain, and blocking production of this substance can ease pain, a new study shows. The findings may lead to the development of non-addictive painkillers, according to the researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. In work with mice, the scientists found that a family of fatty acids called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OLAMs) play an important role in the biology of pain. "This is a major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms of pain and how to more effectively treat it," senior investigator Kenneth Hargreaves, chair of the Department of Endodontics in the Dental School at the UT Health Sciences Center, said in an UT news release. "These data demonstrate, for the first time, that OLAMs constitute a new family of ... Read more

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