Most scientists and drug developers in the pain field focus on sensory neurons — how to block pain signals in the skin, organs and other tissue.
“We’re trying a completely novel approach,” says Gregory Scherrer, associate professor of pharmacology and cell biology & physiology at the UNC School of Medicine.
His approach begins with the fact that people who experience pain complain about the “emotional burden” — the way the unpleasant quality interrupts life’s daily activities.
“So, we want to find the cells in the brain that make pain unpleasant and shut them off such that people would still feel the sensation of pain, but it wouldn’t be emotionally draining. And they could start again engaging in activities they used to, like going for a run or playing with the kids or grandkids,” says Scherrer during the latest episode of the video series “North Carolina Innovators You Should Know,” hosted by former Eshelman Innovation Executive Director John Bamforth.
“People who are addicted to opioids have very limited options in terms of therapeutics,” Scherrer says. His research could lead to a novel generation of non-addictive treatments. “We can really change people’s lives.”
