Aug. 23 at 5:43 PM
$LXRX
Nerves transmit signals (such as pain) using neurotransmitters (these are like “letters” that carry information from one cell to another). AAK1 controls the recycling of receptors, meaning it decides when and how these “mailboxes” for the letters return to the surface of the cell. If AAK1 is overactive, nerve cells can become hypersensitive, which makes it easier for them to send and receive pain signals. When we block AAK1 (as pilavapadin does), we reduce the intensity of pain signals that reach the brain. It’s a bit like turning down the volume on speakers — the signal is still there, but it’s less bothersome. Importantly, this mechanism has nothing to do with opioids (such as morphine or codeine), so it does not cause addiction. AAK1 is a regulator of pain transmission in nerves. Pilavapadin blocks it, which “cuts off part of the cables” transmitting pain, but without damaging the entire nervous system.
