UT Southwestern researchers have published findings that three decades-old antibiotics can inhibit pain derived from nerve damage. With over 100 million US citizens affected by chronic pain and the continued toll of the opioid epidemic, the researcher’s findings could prove essential in reducing opioid-based painkillers.
The scientists focused on EphB1, a protein found on the surface of nerve cells, which Henkemeyer and his colleagues discovered three decades ago. Research has demonstrated that this protein is key for producing neuropathic pain.
"Unless we find alternatives to opioids for chronic pain, we will continue to see a spiral in the opioid epidemic," says study leader Enas S. Kandil, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and pain management at UTSW. "This study shows what can happen if you bring together scientists and physicians with different experience from different backgrounds. We're opening the window to something new."
Image credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center