A study conducted by a team of researchers at Rutgers University in the United States has found a new way to manage the receptors that control the sense of touch, which may lead to an effective treatment for chronic pain. The study revealed a natural molecule, called phosphatidic acid, that can reduce the activity of some ion channels that sense touch in the body. The researchers found that increasing levels of phosphatidic acid in cells made them less sensitive to touch. The discovery was confirmed by experiments on sensory neurons and tests on mice, where the animals became more sensitive to touch when the formation of phosphatidic acid was inhibited. Identifying a natural molecule that specifically reduces pain sensitivity offers hope for new therapeutic strategies in pain management, said Tibor Rohacs, professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at Rutgers University School of Medicine. "Our goal is to translate the findings into effective treatments that improve the qualit y of life for people with chronic pain," he added. Source: Qatar News Agency