Post #4830

After Decades, Scientists Have Finally Discovered Tylenol’s (Paracetamol) Secret Mechanism Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found that acetaminophen doesn’t only act in the brain. Their study reveals that it also blocks pain at its origin by targeting nerve endings in the body. The team discovered that its active compound, AM404, interferes with sodium channels in pain-sensing neurons, stopping pain signals before they reach the brain. This discovery transforms scientists’ understanding of one of the world’s most widely used painkillers. By showing that acetaminophen works both in the nervous system and at the site of pain, the findings could guide the creation of next-generation pain treatments designed to be more effective and gentler on the body. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study was conducted by Prof. Alexander Binshtok from the Faculty of Medicine and Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and Prof. Avi Priel from the School of Pharmacy at Hebrew University. Together, their research uncovered a previously unknown mechanism of pain relief, challenging long-standing assumptions about how acetaminophen functions in the body. Acetaminophen (also called paracetamol, Tylenol, or Panadol) is one of the most commonly used pain and fever medications worldwide. It is known for effectively easing mild to moderate pain and reducing fever, without the stomach irritation or anti-inflammatory effects often linked to drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen. For decades, scientists believed that acetaminophen relieved pain by working only in the brain and spinal cord. But this new research, published in PNAS, shows that the drug also works outside the brain, in the nerves that first detect pain. Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience