Researchers have identified a compound derived from a well-known class of drugs, which gives pain relief in mice without the usual painkiller side effects of sedation, addiction or developing tolerance.
The researchers said that whether the compound has the same effect in people remains to be seen, but they are approaching the drug's target with "cautious optimism".
The compound is derived from Benzodiazepines, which are widely used for sedation or to treat anxiety.
Benzodiazepines act on brain pathways involved with pain perception, but have not been very effective at relieving pain, reports Nature.
The research team first tested diazepam, commonly known as valium, by injecting it into the spines of mice. The spine is one of the body's direct pain highways, so blocking pain signals here might help avoid side effects that turn up when a drug hits the brain.
In this system the researchers found that diazepam could relieve pain - mice that either endured a painful injection or had a nerve squeezed to simulate chronic pain were less bothered if they received the spinal injections.
The study is published in Nature.
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