Human pain and genetics: some basics

Pain Sensitivity & Genetics: Recent Insights

Translational pain research: Lessons from genetics and genomics. 
Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj et al. Science Translational Medicine, August 13, 2014

Lost but making progress—Where will new analgesic drugs come from?
David Borsook et al. Science Translational Medicine, August 13, 2014

Pain genetics: past, present and future. 
Jeffrey S. Mogil, Cell (2012)

Human pain and genetics: some basics. 
Sabu James. British Journal of Pain (2013) 

Congenital insensitivity to pain, from the NIH Genetics Home Reference

Genes contributing to pain sensitivity in the normal population: An exome sequencing study.
Frances M. K. Williams, PLOS Genetics (2012)

Search the NIH Genetic Testing Registry for genetic disorders and tests associated with chronic pain or pain insensitivity

Human pain and genetics: some basics

1. Sabu James

1. Department of Anaesthesia, Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, UK

1. Sabu James, Department of Anaesthesia, Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, ML6 0JS, UK. Email: Sjames251@aol.com

 

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Abstract

Human pain causes untold misery and suffering, with major impact on functioning and resources. Recent advances in genetics have revealed that subtle changes in DNA could partly explain the variation in individual differences in pain. Various genes encoding for receptors are now known to play a major role in the sensitivity, perception and expression of pain. The fields of epigenetics and proteomics hold promises in the way pain could be treated and managed in future.