Scientists have found a way to treat chronic pain by repairing nerves

Scientists at Duke University have discovered that damaged nerves can be repaired by supplying them with healthy mitochondria, which opens up a new way to treat chronic pain. This was reported on May 24 by Science Daily magazine.

"By giving damaged nerves fresh mitochondria— or helping them create more of their own — we can reduce inflammation and support healing," said senior study author Ru-Rong Ji, Ph.D., director of the Translational Pain Center in the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke Medical School.

In the course of experiments on human tissue models and mice, the new therapy method has shown high efficiency. The treatment helped to significantly reduce pain in diabetic neuropathy, as well as damage to the nervous system caused by chemotherapy. In some cases, the positive effect lasted up to 48 hours. Experts believe that this technique eliminates the root cause of chronic pain by replenishing the energy balance of cells.

The authors paid special attention to the mechanism of interaction of sensory neurons with auxiliary cells of satellite glia. It turned out that glia is able to directly transfer healthy mitochondria to neurons through microscopic tunneling nanotubes. According to Professor Ji, this distribution of energy resources protects nerve cells from pain impulses. When the transfer process stops, the fibers begin to break down, causing discomfort, tingling and numbness of the extremities.

When the researchers artificially activated such mitochondrial transmission in experimental mice, their pain decreased by up to 50%. Another experiment showed the effectiveness of direct injection of healthy donor mitochondria into nerve nodes. At the same time, the use of biological material from patients with diabetes mellitus did not bring therapeutic benefits. Biologists have also identified the protein MYO10, which is responsible for the formation of binding nanotubes. The authors hope that their discovery will help to combat chronic pain at its source, and not just mask external symptoms.

Sadness with Consequences: Will Depression help treat dementia

Can mood changes signal a brain disease several years before diagnosis?

On May 13, Science Daily magazine reported on the association of speech features with the risk of dementia. According to the researchers, pauses, parasitic words, and difficulty choosing words are closely related to the executive function of the brain, which is responsible for memory, planning, attention, and flexible thinking.