How gene therapy could change the future of chronic pain treatment

A new treatment might just be hope for many people living with chronic pain.

In a recent preclinical study, researchers discovered a way through gene therapy, to target pain centers in the brain without using opioids or risking addiction.

The results were published in the journal Nature and represent a major step forward in chronic pain treatment.

Chronic pain is quite a consistent feeling and nothing seems to numb it and while opioid drugs like morphine can help reduce pain, they affect many parts of the brain and can cause dangerous side effects or lead to addiction.

This new therapy is designed to work like a knob that turns down only the pain signal, without touching anything else.

It was created by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, along with Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University.

“The goal was to reduce pain while avoiding the risks that come with narcotics,” said Dr. Gregory Corder, a co-author of the study and assistant professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Penn. “We focused on the exact brain circuits that morphine affects, hoping to find a safer solution.”

He described it as the world’s first gene therapy designed specifically for pain in the central nervous system. It could be the start of a new class of non-addictive treatments for people suffering from long-term pain.

Chronic pain is sometimes called a “silent epidemic” and costs the U.S. more than $635 billion each year. These costs come from both medical treatment and lost productivity, such as people missing work or being unable to earn a full income.

Morphine and similar drugs work well to relieve pain but are highly addictive. Over time, patients build up a tolerance and need larger doses to get the same relief. This increases the risk of dependence and eventually, overdose.

This gene therapy could offer a way to relieve pain without getting people addicted to opioids. The next steps will include more testing and eventually, clinical trials in humans.

Dr. Michael Platt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is helping to lead the next phase. “As a scientist and someone with loved ones who live with chronic pain, I’m hopeful. This could bring real relief without the risk of addiction.”