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VGSDs: a potential breakthrough on the horizon for neuropathy pain?

Neuropathy | Last Active: Jun 22, 2020 | Replies (5)
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@johnbishop

Thanks for starting this new discussion @jesfactsmon. Sounds like voltage gated sodium channels (VGSD) could hold some promise to help people with neuropathy pain. Not so sure about the puffer fish toxin but maybe that's just me and the visual pictures I have in my mind 🙂 Here's some research information I found on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/).

Effect of Oxaliplatin on Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels in Peripheral Neuropathic Pain:
-- https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/8/6/680

Structure and Pharmacology of Voltage-Gated Sodium and Calcium Channels:
-- https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010818-021757

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Replies to "Thanks for starting this new discussion @jesfactsmon. Sounds like voltage gated sodium channels (VGSD) could hold..."
Hank | @jesfactsmon | Jun 22, 2020

Thanks John, One other note, apparently the toxin is used to produce an effect on one of the 4 "petals" on the VGSD which causes the pore in the center to shut which stops the channel from allowing the entry of sodium, the catalyst for the pain response. Also, I forgot to mention that there are other creatures beside pufferfish from which this TTX toxin can be extracted such as

Gastropod mollusc.
The eggs of horseshoe crabs.
Newts of the genus Taricha.
The skin of Atelopid frogs.
The skin and viscera of porcupine fish, globefish, balloon fish, blowfish, sunfish, toadfish, blue-ringed octopus, and some species of salamanders.

I think I also read tarantula (or perhaps black widow) spiders, can't remember which.

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