SHAFAQNA SCIENCE- People carrying three gene variants inherited from Neanderthals are more sensitive to some types of pain, according to a new study conducted with UCL researchers.
According to Science Daily, The findings, published in the journal Communications Biology, are the latest discoveries showing how interbreeding with Neanderthals in the past influenced the genetics of modern humans.
Researchers have found that people carrying three so-called Neanderthal variants of the SCN9A gene, which is involved in sensory neurons, are more sensitive to skin sting pain after prior exposure to mustard oil.
Previous research has identified three variants of the SCN9A gene – called M932L, V991L and D1908G – in the genome of sequenced Neanderthals and reported higher pain sensitivity in carriers. all three variations. However, before this study, the specific sensory responses affected by these variations remained unclear.
An international team led by researchers from UCL, Aix-Marseille University, University of Toulouse, Open University, Fudan University and University of Oxford and partly funded by Wellcome, measured the threshold pain of 1,963 people from Colombia in response to a variety of stimuli.
Source: Science Daily