- Scientists are being urged to look at the body’s “natural killer” cells as a potential treatment for neuropathic pain.
- They point out that these cells are already utilized by the body to battle cancer.
- Experts say the research is in its early stages and it is too soon to tell whether natural killer cells can be used for pain management.
Some scientists are looking at “natural killer” cells as a treatment for neuropathic pain, according to a
The body uses these cells to battle cancer, but Seog Bae Oh, a neurobiologist at Seoul National University in South Korea and senior author of the study, wanted to look at them in the context of pain. He points out that first, he needs a better understanding of how NK cells work and how to minimize side effects.
“These cells were named natural killer cells based on one of their functions or destroying infected, old, or cancerous cells in the body, said Dr. Matt Burford, a clinical professor of neurology in the Department of Neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who was not involved in the study.
“Their less exciting name is large granular lymphocytes,” he told Medical News Today.
Natural killer cells might reduce pain because of their involvement in the pruning of nerve cells.
Pruning is the targeted elimination of functional synapses, according to an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Elimination of neural synapses works to form a healthy, adaptive brain.
When damaged or diseased, neurons can stop functioning as intended, causing pain. Natural killer cells could help to prune the neurons, removing the damage.
“The natural killer cells in our body target and remove unwanted cells, such as cancer cells or infected cells,” explained Alexander Davies, Ph.D., a UKRI Future Leaders fellow and one of the study’s authors.
“More recently, there has been greater interest in how [natural killer] cells…
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