Anaesthesia without paralysis

A method for blocking the activity of specific pain-sensing neurons without affecting other sensory or motor neurons could be used to create a more targeted anaesthesia than is currently available. Bruce P. Bean and colleagues show that introducing a molecule that acts only from the inside of neurons, in combination with capsaicin – the active ingredient in chilli peppers – which opens TRPV1 channels, can be used to block pain and produce regional anaesthesia without the paralysis associated with most local anaesthetics.

The team report that the sodium-channel blocker QX-314 can be made to enter neurons through TRPV1 channels when co-applied with the TRPV1-channel opener capsaicin. In further experiments they demonstrate the same effect in vivo.

This could prove advantageous for generating local anaesthesia in situations in which preserving motor and non-painful sensations is desirable, such as childbirth or dental procedures, or for treating certain types of chronic pain, such as postherpetic neuralgia.

CONTACT

Bruce P. Bean (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)

Tel: +1 617 432 1139; E-mail: bruce_bean@hms.harvard.edu



Edwin W McCleskey (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA)
E-mail: mccleskeye@hhmi.org N&V author