IISc scientists discover brain mechanism behind chemotherapy pain

BENGALURU: Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) Scientists at the

Center for Neuroscience

(CNS) have uncovered how specific brain regions work together to control

chronic pain

in mice, particularly pain caused by chemotherapy treatment. This discovery could lead to better

pain management strategies

for cancer patients.
“Chronic physical pain can be debilitating, but feelings of stress, fear, and hunger can sometimes suppress painful sensations. Diverse neurons across different brain regions play a role in carefully orchestrating the pain response in animals,” IISc said.
It added that scientists at CNS have now found how these neurons work together. The research focused on a common chemotherapy side effect where patients become hypersensitive to cold temperatures. The team, led by Arnab Barik, assistant professor at CNS, found that a brain region called the

lateral parabrachial nucleus

(LPBN) plays a crucial role in how animals process and cope with this pain.
“For us to feel pain in a situation where we shouldn’t feel pain, something must go wrong in the brain. There should be more firing or misfiring [of neurons] in certain regions of the brain,” explains Prannay Reddy, lead author of the study.

The researchers discovered that the LPBN acts like a relay station, receiving signals from different brain areas to determine pain intensity and response. When activated, mice showed increased paw-licking behavior in response to cold stimuli – a sign they were actively trying to cope with pain.
The study also revealed that signals from the lateral hypothalamus, a brain region involved in stress and hunger, could reduce pain responses.
“As an example, if you’re really, really hungry and you have back pain, you can still manage your back pain and go over to finding your food. Now if you have an intense pain attack, where all these neurons are really stimulated, then you’re not going to go look for food. The brain really computes that,” says Barik. The brain’s innate mechanisms that can help us judge the best course of action in these cases, according to Barik, involve regions like the LPBN, the spinal cord, and the hypothalamus.
While these findings help explain why

pain perception

can be subjective, Barik notes that more research is needed to understand if similar mechanisms apply to other types of chronic pain, such as arthritis or diabetic neuropathy.