Pain sensation blocked by same channel that generates it.

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have identified a novel pain-suppression pathway in fruit flies, regulated by just two neurons named ‘Epione’ or ‘Epi’. The Epi neurons directly sense high temperatures, utilizing a specific ion channel named “Painless.” The molecule that suppresses the pain sensation in adult flies has the opposite role in fly larvae. This breakthrough understanding of pain suppression, or ‘nociception’, may have wider implications for human pain management.