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Researchers Suggest Gene May Influence Sensitivity to Pain

By Lindsay F. Wiley [Bio]

March 1, 2003 - New research suggests that an individual's sensitivity to pain may be partly related to a gene that determines how many endorphins the body releases. The study could lead to greater customization of pain treatment and allow doctors a better understanding of their patients' responses to different pain medications.

The so-called "pain gene" produces COMT, an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine, which facilitates signals between brain cells. Scientists know that an individual has two COMT genes, one inherited from each parent, and they have identified two variations of the gene: a less active variation that contains the amino acid methionine and a more active variation that contains the amino acid valine. Research performed by Dr. Jon-Kar Zubieta at the University of Michigan suggests that people with two copies of the valine variation have a significantly better tolerance for pain.

Zubieta injected volunteers' jaw muscles with saline to simulate a painful condition called temporomandibular joint syndrome. He them used PET scanners to measure their reactions while they rated their pain at 15-second intervals during a 20-minute pain cycle. Those volunteers with two copies of the val-COMT gene withstood higher doses of saline while rating their pain lower than other volunteers. Those with two copies of the met-COMT gene reported the highest pain scores from the lowest saline doses. Zubieta’s results are published in Science.