Epigenetics May Be the Key to Pain Regulation in the Spinal Cord

A new study published in Anesthesiology reveals information about regulating pain in the spinal cord. Epigenetics, the study of changes in gene expression through mechanisms outside of the DNA structure, is said to control a pain receptor linked to surgical incision pain. “In this study we found that histones (the proteins that human DNA wraps itself around) can epigenetically activate or silence gene expression to either increase or decrease incision pain,” says a researcher. Click here to read the details of the study.