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Making Senses
29 December 2014

Making Senses

Unable to feel pain, problems with breathing, and digestion – these are just some of the difficulties sustained by sufferers with the genetic disease of the nervous system familial dysautonomia (FD). FD and other conditions involving nociceptors [pain-sensing neurons] are difficult to study in a laboratory, as extracting neurons from a person with a particular condition is complex. This has led scientists to develop a method of making nociceptors using other cells from a patient’s body. A specific cocktail of genes can transform cells from the connective tissue called fibroblasts into nociceptors like the one pictured. Growing nociceptors in this way from people with FD or other pain conditions allows involved genes and drug treatments to be studied. The nociceptors made from fibroblasts also showed normal neuronal responses, such as becoming more sensitive in response to pain. This approach already looks promising as an aid to understanding chronic pain.

Written by Esther Redhouse White

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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