SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain, opening up unexpected new possibilities for research into pain relief medication

For the past year, some six months before the pandemic took hold, I and my colleagues had been studying the role of neuropilin-1 in the context of pain perception. Because neuropilin-1, like the ACE2 receptor, allowed spike to enter the cells, we wondered if this alternate gateway could also be rela...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Conversation : Science + Technology 2020-09-21
Main Author:	Khanna, Rajesh
Format:	Newspaper Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Coronaviruses COVID-19 Disease transmission Growth factors Pain Proteins Receptors Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Vascular endothelial growth factor Viral diseases Viral infections
Online Access:	Request full text
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Summary:	For the past year, some six months before the pandemic took hold, I and my colleagues had been studying the role of neuropilin-1 in the context of pain perception. Because neuropilin-1, like the ACE2 receptor, allowed spike to enter the cells, we wondered if this alternate gateway could also be related to pain. [...]when neuropilin-1 binds to a naturally occurring protein called called Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), this triggers pain signals. Analysis of the structure of the neuropilin-1 receptor protein may allow design of drugs targeting this critical site which also controls axon growth, cell survival - in addition to pain relief.