Today's Edition
SINGAPORE (WAM)
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and China's Peking University have discovered how solvent molecules, particularly deuterated water (D₂O), modulate the TRPV1 ion channel, which plays a key role in detecting pain, to suppress pain signals, according to Russia Today.
This breakthrough offers a potential pathway for non-addictive, effective pain management without compromising neurological function.
Led by Professor Xiaogang Liu from the NUS Department of Chemistry, the team developed an upconversion nanoprobe capable of distinguishing between ordinary water (H₂O) and deuterated water (D₂O).
This advanced technology enabled real-time tracking of water dynamics at both the single-cell and single-molecule levels.
The study showed that when D₂O passed through the TRPV1 channel, it suppressed pain signal transmission and achieved effective analgesia.
Administering D₂O to pre-clinical models, the team successfully reduced both acute and chronic inflammatory pain transmission without affecting other neurological responses.
