A research team from the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia and the Scripps Research Institute, in collaboration, published a study in the latest issue of Nature stating that there is a special type of brain cell in the brain that has been overlooked for a long time and is activated during periods of persistent pain. Although this discovery is still in the animal research stage, if it can be validated in humans, it will open up a new path for treating chronic pain in about one-fifth of the global population. The research team focused their attention on the parabrachial nucleus in the brainstem region. This neural nucleus is like a precise relay station, capable of receiving various sensory information from the body and accurately transmitting this information to other functional areas of the brain. In a mouse experiment, the research team successfully located a special subpopulation of neurons scattered within the brachiocephalic nucleus. These neurons carrying neuropeptide Y receptors seem to be set in a 'persistent mode', maintaining an active state after initial pain stimulation (such as nerve damage). When the team activated these Y1R neurons, the mice immediately showed typical pain responses; On the contrary, when the activity of these neurons is blocked, the persistent pain in mice is significantly relieved, but they can still respond normally to acute risks such as high temperature exposure. Research has found that when mice are under stress, other areas of the brain release neuropeptide Y to the parasympathetic nucleus, naturally achieving analgesic effects. This ingenious physiological mechanism provides important clues for the development of new analgesic drugs. The team believes that the neuropeptide Y signaling pathway may serve as a highly promising drug target, bringing breakthroughs to the long stagnant field of pain treatment. (New Society)