Researchers have found specific nerve pathways that relay pain signals to the brain
Researchers have identified specific nerve pathways responsible for relaying pain signals from the bowel to the brain, enabling researcher into new treatments for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The findings reveal two distinct neural pathways in the spinal cord that act as “gatekeepers” in transmitting pain from the colon and rectum into the brainstem.
“One region in the thoracolumbar spinal cord was shown to relay noxious information into brainstem pain-related circuits, while the other spinal region in the lumbosacral spinal cord carried a broader range of signals into brainstem circuits involved in normal gut motor function and pain modulation,” said lead author Dr Andrea Harrington.
The Adelaide-based research, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, was SAHMRI-led in collaboration with researchers from the University of Adelaide, the University of Melbourne and Flinders University.
“By pinpointing these pathways, we now know how signals from the gut are being transferred and processed in the nervous system appropriately, giving us a clear guide of what neural pathways to target to help understand and manage abnormal pain,” said Harrington.
Despite the prevalence of IBS and IBD, traditional therapy options are scarce, highlighting the importance of this finding.
