Pain 'dimmer switch' discovered by UK scientists

Pain sensitivity is controlled by a genetic "dimmer switch", which can be re-set, UK scientists have discovered. Twins sharing 100% of genes have different pain thresholds, which can potentially be altered by lifestyle or medication, say researchers at King's College, London. The study could lead to new painkillers or lifestyle interventions, they report in Nature Communications, external. One in

[mobanama]

"Using DNA sequencing, the researchers examined the whole genetic codes (genomes) of the twins and compared them with 50 unrelated individuals."昔じゃ考えられない力技。今更ながらえらい時代じゃ。epigenetic changes/switchingをchemical switchesと。

[poccopen]

原著本文は未読なのですが、アブストをチラ見する限り、TRPA1遺伝子のプロモータ領域のメチル化と痛みに対する感受性の間に相関があるようです。http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140204/ncomms3978/full/ncomms3978.html