Our bodies produce a substance similar to capsaicin-the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot-at sites of pain, and blocking production of this substance can ease pain, a new study shows. In laboratory work with mice, scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center discovered that a family of fatty acids called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OLAMs) play a significant role in the biology of pain. Blocking either the production or action of these substances, say researchers, could lead to new therapies for various inflammatory diseases and pain disorders, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.
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