Adelaide: It may soon be possible to treat chronic pain linked to gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome by specifically targeting a receptor that regulates our sensation of touch and warmth, which researchers have now discovered to be present in our colon.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Neuron.
A team examining the colon, led by Professor Hongzhen Hu at Washington University and Professor Nick Spencer at Flinders University, identified the presence of Piezo2, the subject of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, now known to be responsible for sensing light touch on our skin.
