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LiveScience
LiveScience
Payal Dhar

'Pain sponge' derived from stem cells could soak up pain signals before they reach the brain

An image of a purple-stained neuron with teal tendrils extending from it.

An experimental treatment uses specialized neurons derived from stem cells to "soak up" triggers of pain and inflammation in the arthritic knees of mice.

This lab-mouse experiment suggests the therapy could potentially help with chronic pain in people, caused by conditions like osteoarthritis, for example. The hope is that the "pain sponge" could enable patients to stop relying on opioid medications for pain relief, the researchers say.

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