Study says killing select nerve cells blocks chronic pain

Injections of small amounts of toxins into precise places in the spine can
block debilitating pain without the psychoactive effects of narcotic
drugs,according to new research.

Patrick W. Mantyh, a University of Minnesota scientist, said his team has
found the nerve channel that delivers to the brain sensations of
intractable, chronic pain and have shown in rat research that the pain can
be stopped permanently by injecting toxins that kill specific nerve cells.

He said the work could lead to a new way to control pain in patients who
have cancer or disorders that make them hypersensitive to pain sensations.

In the study, Mantyh and his group found that they could selectively shut
down pain channels by killing specific cells in the spinal cord. While the
technique blocked extreme pain, normal sensations of touch were not
affected, he said.