AsianScientist (Oct. 23, 2014) – Researchers have found that blocking the actions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in sensory neurons may be a new way to treat pain disorders. The findings have been published in Science Signaling.
IGF-1 is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin, playing an important role in childhood growth and muscle growth.
A team of researchers led by Dr. Zhang Yuan at Soochow University found that treating mice with IGF-1 increased their perception of pain. Specifically, they showed that IGF-1 acts through a specific type of voltage-gated calcium channel in the sensory neurons of the mice paws.
Most growth factor signals are relayed through high-affinity cell surface receptors known as receptor tyrosine kinases. However, the researchers found that the enhanced calcium channel activity observed in the mice neurons involved another type of cell-membrane spanning surface receptors involving G-proteins.
When either the G-protein pathways or calcium channels were blocked using drugs or genetic methods, mice that were experiencing chronic inflammation were less sensitive to touch and temperature stimuli, suggesting that blocking this pathway could provide pain relief for patients suffering from chronic pain disorders.
The study authors hope that their findings can eventually be used to develop new drugs.
The article can be found at: Zhang et al. (2014) Peripheral pain is enhanced by insulin-like growth factor 1 through a G protein–mediated stimulation of T-type calcium channels.
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