Finding genetic signatures to better understand chronic pain
SIGNATURES
of disease detectable by clinical assays are an essential tool for research and treatment. People dealing with complex conditions like chronic pain often suffer without a diagnosis, leaving them in the dark about what treatments may be most likely to help, and--even worse--in subjecting them to bias and skepticism about whether the cause of their condition is physical or psychological. While a signature is not a diagnosis, it is a crucial step toward understanding complex conditions, because it allows similar cases to be recognized. Research and treatment results can be shared among cases with a common signature, leading to discovery of causes and cures.
GENETIC ASSAYS
may provide extremely valuable signatures of syndromes that cause chronic pain. Recent studies have shown that mitochondrial DNA damage is observed in veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome, a disease characterized by chronic pain, fatigue, and dif culties in walking or thinking. Until this recent study, such pains were often categorized as psychological and dissacociated from their real cause. Similarly, patients who have experienced adverse reactions to a special class of antibiotics called uoroquinolones have reported various symptoms including chronic pain and neuropathy. There’s great uncertainty about whether exposure to uoroquinolones is a cause of chronic pain or a mere coincidence.
EXOGEN BIO
has established a thorough process over the past two years using DNA damage as a biomarker for identifying people with abnormal levels of damage, which typically suggests poor lifestyle, stress, or exposure to genotoxic agents. We propose extending our techniques to mitochondrial DNA to help people in chronic pain. Socially, the impact would be tremendous by helping individuals who are currently suffering in silence from unknown causes to identify the reason of their suffering.
