Dual Role: Painkiller may affect brain
By Amy Maxmen
A class of drugs being developed to stop pain could also obstruct memory formation. The new painkillers aim to block molecules that respond to burning sensations, like those delivered by chili peppers, camphor, and heat from a fire. Those molecules, found on sensory nerve endings, are known as TRPV1 receptors. Blocking those receptors could help with everything from migraines to dental agony.
But TRPV1 blockers could also affect the brain, researchers report in the March 13 Neuron. TRPV1 receptors are also found in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning and forming habits.