In this enlightening episode, we are joined by Dr. Bennett, who takes us through his ground-breaking research on the genetic basis of temporal summation of pain, or "wind-up". This process, where the repeated application of noxious stimuli leads to progressively increased pain perception, plays a pivotal role in various clinical pain disorders.

Dr. Bennett's team has utilized a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) to reveal a significant association between human pain wind-up and the NCX3 locus, encoded by the SLC8A3 gene. Intriguingly, NCX3 null mice exhibited hypersensitivity in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models, with dorsal horn neurons showcasing increased wind-up and intracellular calcium following repetitive stimulation.

This episode discusses how the virally mediated enhanced spinal expression of NCX3 can potentially red ...