Scientists are always extremely interested in people who are different from the rest. For example, recently they were interested in a woman from Scotland, who throughout her life did not feel pain and considered it normal. Until the age of sixty, she broke bones, received severe burns and underwent major operations without anesthesia. Upon learning of this, professors from the London Institute for Biomedical Research decided to find out why a woman had such an anomaly - after all, perhaps, having learned this, they could create an effective medicine for chronic pain in other people.
A woman named Joe Cameron shared with researchers that she had previously been diagnosed with arthritis in her hip, but that she never felt pain in her joints. Moreover, earlier she could only find out that she was burned by traces of charred skin and smell. She even had a weakened sense of taste - a woman could eat red pepper, and feel only a "pleasant burning" in her mouth. She also rarely felt anxiety, depression, fear and panic, even during a car accident that happened once.
Upon learning of this, scientists conducted a genome sequencing of herself, her mother and children. The study showed that the reason for its low sensitivity is a mutation in the Faah gene, which is responsible for physical sensations. The analgesic properties of this gene are triggered by the Faah-Out particle, which was previously considered a "junk" gene.
Scientists intend to study this part of the genome more thoroughly, as ultimately they are able to help people get rid of chronic pain through genetic engineering. Perhaps they should have done this earlier, as previous studies have shown that changes in the Faah gene make people calmer and less susceptible to pain.
It is noteworthy that this is not the only region of the genome that affects sensitivity. For example, in Italy there is a woman named Letizia Marsigli who, like the other five members of her family, does not feel pain. The study showed that in their case, a mutation in the ZFHX2 gene is responsible for a painless life.
You probably have something to say about this discovery. Feel free to share your opinion in the comments.
Ramis Ganiev