Cancer Drugs Show Promise in Treating Chronic Nerve Pain

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center identified the protein BRAF as a driver of chronic nerve pain, finding that BRAF inhibitors can reduce pain sensitivity in preclinical models.

The study, published in Science Signaling, showed that the drugs vemurafenib and selumetinib successfully reduced pain signals entering the spinal cord by inhibiting hyperactive NMDA receptors.

While the findings are preclinical, the team suggests that repurposing existing cancer therapies could offer a new treatment path for neuropathic pain that is resistant to conventional medications.