Ocean Corals For Neuropathic Pain Therapy

Experts say that a compound initially isolated from soft corals off the coast of Taiwan could help in providing treatment for pain from intractable nerve damage.

Pain caused due to nerve damage is poorly controlled by usual analgesics and hence novel treatments are urgently required.

Researchers suggest that inflammation in the nervous system is the main culprit for the condition and because of the inflammation certain cells surrounding the nerve cells becomes active, causing intense pain.

Research in the British Journal of Pharmacology suggests Capnella imbricata, or Kenya Tree Coral, could provide relief. The Taiwanese scientists report promising early trial results in rats. Several important drugs have already been developed from chemicals found in coral reef organisms.

Read more at BBC