Chronic pain is one of medicine’s most stubborn puzzles. A sprained back, a surgical incision or a pinched nerve heals – and yet, for millions of people, the pain never fully goes away. According to a new study from UC Irvine researchers, after an injury, support cells are temporarily rewired to trigger nerve cells to produce sticky beta-amyloid protein fragments best known for their role in Alzheimer’s disease. “What surprised us most was how central this pathway turned out to be,” said Daniele Piomelli (above), Distinguished Professor of anatomy and neurobiology. “It wasn’t just present alongside chronic pain. When we blocked it, the chronic pain simply didn’t develop. This gives us a mechanistic explanation for why the transition to chronic pain happens when it does and a real handle on how to intervene. The goal isn’t simply to treat pain once it has become chronic; it’s to catch the process while it’s still reversible.”
