The woman who feels no pain thanks to a genetic mutation

Found a rare genetic mutation that protects the body from chronic pain, facilitates wound healing, makes almost indifferent to fear and anxiety. The mutation, which affects a gene named
FAAH-OUT, was discovered in a person studied by a group of researchers coordinated by James Cox of the Molecular Nociception Group of the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research in London. The results of the study were published in the journal Brain. The discovery opens up new possible ways for the study and development of completely innovative genetic interventions, which could guarantee The control of chronic pain and its negative psychological effects.
The woman carrying the mutation left her doctors perplexed when, in 2013, she underwent major orthopedic surgery after which she did not experience the pain that usually accompanies this type of surgery. The case was so unusual that the doctors referred the woman to geneticists. Studied for several years, the genetic mutation that explained its unique characteristics was finally identified.

The FAAH-OUT gene is a small corner of a vast continent that this study has only begun to explore, says Andrei Okorokov, co-author of the paper. In addition to the molecular basis of the lack of pain sensitivity, these explorations have also identified the molecular pathways that control the wound healing process and subsequent psychological responses. All processes influenced by the mutation of the FAAH-OUT gene. As scientists, it is our duty to carry out this kind of exploration and I believe that our findings will have important implications in different areas of research, such as wound healing processes and depressive states. Indeed, the genetic configuration of the patient studied was even more complex than a single mutation, since other genetic alterations connected to her strange characteristics were also identified.