New research identifies body’s method of detecting cold

Neuroscience researchers have been able to identify the sensory network of neurons that detects the sensation of cold, a development that could have numerous beneficial implications.

The team from the University of Southern California (USC) found that by isolating and ablating the neurons that express the protein TRPM8, it is possible to influence or deactivate the body's ability to feel cold.

A study carried out using mice confirmed this finding, allowing the scientists to selectively shut off their ability to sense cold, while still leaving them able to sense heat and touch.

This could be an important finding for future pain treatments that can function without completely shutting down all feeling in patients.

David McKemy, associate professor of neurobiology in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, said: "One of our goals is to pave the way for medications that address the pain directly, in a way that does not leave patients completely numb."

According to data from the British Pain Society, almost 10 million people in Britain suffer pain almost daily, which severely impacts on their quality of life and requires them to take time off work.