位于美国密苏里州圣路易斯的华盛顿大学医学院研究人员发现了一种能够抑制慢性神经性疼痛的大脑“刹车”机制，该研究成果于2026年8月17日发表在《Current Biology》（论文DOI：10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.048）上 1。这项由该校麻醉学系临床药理学中心副教授Jordan McCall博士领导的研究表明，大脑蓝斑核（locus coeruleus）区域的μ阿片受体能够平息过度活跃的疼痛回路，从而为开发更精准且副作用更少的慢性疼痛疗法提供了新靶点 1。
在小鼠模型中，研究人员特异性去除了蓝斑核细胞的μ阿片受体，发现动物对触热刺激更为敏感；而在恢复该受体后，这种敏感性得到了逆转 1。该研究获得了美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）等多项资助，资助编号包括R01NS117899、R01NS135401、F31NS124301、F31DA065440以及DGE-2139839等 1。
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have discovered a brain "brake" mechanism that can suppress chronic neuropathic pain 1. Led by Dr. Jordan McCall, an associate professor in the Center for Clinical Pharmacology within the Department of Anesthesiology, the study focused on mu-opioid receptors in the locus coeruleus region of the brain 1. These receptors are capable of calming overactive pain circuits, providing a new target for developing more precise chronic pain therapies with fewer side effects 1. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology on August 17, 2026 1.
In mouse models, researchers specifically removed mu-opioid receptors from locus coeruleus cells, which made the animals more sensitive to touch and heat stimuli 1. This sensitivity was successfully reversed once the receptors were restored 1. The research, conducted in St. Louis, Missouri, was supported by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including grant numbers R01NS117899, R01NS135401, F31NS124301, F31DA065440, and DGE-2139839 1. The paper is available under the DOI 10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.048 1.
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