Got Pain? Anthrax May Be Able To Relieve It
For many people, the word Anthrax brings back scary memories of bioterrorism. However, Anthrax may be the new cure for your chronic back or knee pain. Sounds Crazy, right? The same Anthrax that can cause skin lesions and breathing problems looks to be a healthier alternative than the opioids we currently use to treat pain.
How is this possible? Well, the investigators at Harvard Medical School recently published proof explaining the exciting news on December 20th regarding Anthrax’s use in stopping pain in animals and even in humans.
Their series of experiments focused on using Anthrax to alter the signals from pain receptors that cause us to feel pain. Pain comes from our bodies sending messages to react to whatever hurts us. So with this new treatment, instead of feeling that ache from banging our elbow, our body wouldn’t react and send those painful messages, and we would not feel the ache at all. So far, the technique has successfully prevented pain signals in both living animals and human nerve cells in dishes.
Just as importantly, as the Anthrax blocked the animals’ pain, it did not affect their vital signs. There was no change in their temperature, heart rate, or ability to go about their day. They got the pain relief they needed without feeling tired, fuzzy, or other side effects.
Currently, our most successful treatment options for pain are opioids or painkillers, which come with plenty of side effects, including trouble breathing and fuzziness that can disrupt our daily routine. Unfortunately, opioids can also change the way the brain works and cause addiction.
Anthrax causes none of these, which is excellent news for the promising new pain relief process as it can stop pain where you want it, when you want it, without causing any damage. All the cells affected by the Anthrax treatment were perfectly healthy after stopping the pain.
Now, why does Anthrax work? Well, the senior investigator in the study believes that this is because dangerous bacteria like Anthrax have figured out how to hide. This means that Anthrax keeps our body from sensing it’s there by stopping it from sending any signals. This would help a disease like Anthrax sneak in, stay alive, and spread faster since our body wouldn’t notice it’s there or feel anything is even wrong. This theory makes sense since when someone is infected with Anthrax, there is no pain, just strange-looking markings on the skin.
These exciting findings are still being tested for their possible use in changing how we treat pain in the future. If they are successful, Anthrax could play a key role in relieving pain in those with everything from swelling to nerve damage. This could be huge news for anyone dealing with complications from diabetes, cancer patients, and those with serious long-term injuries.
Anthony's Portfolio 