Genetic pain management
Congenital insensitivity to pain is kind of a novel condition that causes the afflicted to feel no pain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain_with_anhidrosis
Can it be given to someone in a gene mod? Can it be reversed later? If so, it would allow for MUCH more invasive procedures.
On a side note, the box jellyfish has one of the worst venoms known to man. It opens sodium channels in your nerves, producing the sensation of severe pain (possibly the most intense pain that can ever be experienced). They say that people stung by the box jellyfish will try to kill themselves to end their suffering. I noticed that the gene responsible for congenital insensitivity to pain prohibits the sodium channels from opening, which makes sense if the perception of pain is caused by sodium ion exchange in neurons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_insensitivity_to_pain_with_anhidrosis
Can it be given to someone in a gene mod? Can it be reversed later? If so, it would allow for MUCH more invasive procedures.
On a side note, the box jellyfish has one of the worst venoms known to man. It opens sodium channels in your nerves, producing the sensation of severe pain (possibly the most intense pain that can ever be experienced). They say that people stung by the box jellyfish will try to kill themselves to end their suffering. I noticed that the gene responsible for congenital insensitivity to pain prohibits the sodium channels from opening, which makes sense if the perception of pain is caused by sodium ion exchange in neurons.
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However, if we could temporarily shut off or significantly reduce pain in a local area, such as our fingertips, that would be another story, because it would be dead useful. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening with DIY mods, but you never know. I hope someone comes and proves me wrong on that :-)
~Ian
EDIT: shut off, not shut of...
This was interesting. Also, it was the first I've heard of a replication defective herpes simplex vector. Apparently used for localized gene therapy?