Naked mole rat study uncovers pain relief clues

A new study involving naked mole rats has suggested that elements of their physiology could offer an indication of how new pain relief therapies could be created.

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) study has examined the way in which these subterranean mammals are able to thrive in acidic environments that other creatures would not be able to tolerate.

Because they live in crowded underground burrows, carbon dioxide build-up causes the air to become highly acidified, but naked mole rats display very little physiological response to this.

This could be an important development, as much of the lingering pain caused by wounds is due to acid build-up in the injured tissue.

Lead investigator Thomas Park, professor of biological sciences at UIC, said: "Acidification is an unavoidable side-effect of injury. Studying an animal that feels no pain from an acidified environment should lead to new ways of alleviating pain in humans."

Earlier this year, the researchers published findings that suggested that the ability of naked mole rats to survive in oxygen-poor environments could be important in developing methods of protecting brain cells from damage following heart attacks or strokes.