((( New Protein Spotlight Comic Strip: Silent pain ))) June 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is there really a point to pain? Yes, argue most. Pain warns you that something is not right. It teaches children not to put their hands on a hot plate because they know heat hurts. It urges you to consult your doctor when pain persists in any part of your body. Yes, but what about pain that accompanies something which has already been diagnosed? What about the persistent pain that frequently escorts chronic conditions, such as a sore back or cancer? Who can see the good in that kind of pain? Though there may be instances when it seems superfluous and even cruel, the sensation of pain is more necessary than it is not. It is a clear indicator that there is something wrong, and that it needs to be seen to. In the absence of pain, no alert signals are given off - which could ultimately put your life in danger. It is a complex sensation with many a meaning and many a pathway. One particular pathway was discovered when members of a family were incapable of feeling pain - a singular and rare condition due to the loss of function of a protein known as SCN9A or Nav1.7. Link to this comic strip: https://www.proteinspotlight.org/back_issues/102/comic/ You'll find the original article at: https://www.proteinspotlight.org/back_issues/102/ If you wish to unsubscribe, you may do so here: https://www.proteinspotlight.org/unsubscribe/