See the pain by its color

Pain is a sensation that can have a certain degree of subjectivity, but if it is physical pain, its existence can literally be seen directly, in the form of signals propagating neuron by neuron and occupying a certain space. On the occasion of an investigation aimed at finding new treatments against unproductive chronic pain (which does not serve to alert us to a health problem of which we were not aware), the team of Shane Cronin, from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology attached to the Austrian Academy of Sciences, has obtained fascinating images in which pain is seen, with its own color assigned in this case. The photo shows mouse sensory neurons, in green. BH4, a substance that drives chronic pain, is shown in magenta. Neurons where there is pain are seen with large white-pink spots. In short, in this image we can see the pain by its color. (Font: NCYT by Amazings)

(Image: © Cronin/IMBA)