Neuroscience: Anthrax toxin reduces pain in mice

 
A paper showing that anthrax toxin released from the lethal anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) relieves pain in mice is published in Nature Neuroscience.The findings suggest that anthrax toxin may be a new option for pain treatment, but further research is needed to determine its exact mechanism of action and its usefulness in other organisms.

Nociceptors are specialized sensory neurons that emit warning signals when we encounter harmful environmental changes or stimuli (eg, extreme temperature or barometric pressure).This signal is translated as pain sensation in the brain.Nociceptors sense certain types of pathogenic bacteria, either directly or through toxins produced by the bacteria.However, some bacteria release substances that block pain signals in an attempt to escape sensing.

Now, Isaac Chiu and colleagues show that in both mice and humans, receptors that bind anthrax toxin are expressed in dorsal root ganglion neurons (specialized sensory neurons adjacent to the spinal cord).Furthermore, administration of edema toxin, a type of anthrax toxin, to mice reduced susceptibility to pain stimuli (eg, heat and needle stick stimuli).This effect was dependent on sensory neurons expressing anthrax receptors.Although the exact mechanism by which edema toxin reduces pain signaling has not been elucidated, it has been shown that edema toxin blocks signaling between sensory neurons in both mouse and human stem cell models.

Chiu et al. Conclude that these findings on the interaction of anthrax toxin derivatives with pain receptors may facilitate the development of new research tools for the treatment of pain and better therapies than existing ones. It is attached.

 
* This article is reprinted from "Nature Japan Featured Highlights".
Reprinted from: "Neuroscience: Anthrax toxin relieves mouse pain'