New Insight into Peripheral Neuropathy, Yale Researchers

Full article at: Yale researchers uncover source of mystery pain
Contact: Bill Hathaway
william.hathaway@yale.edu
203-432-1322
Yale University

"An estimated 20 million people in the United States suffer from peripheral neuropathy, marked by the degeneration of nerves and in some cases severe pain. There is no good treatment for the disorder and doctors can find no apparent cause in one of every three cases.

An international team of scientists headed by researchers from Yale University, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Haven and the University Maastricht in the Netherlands found that mutations of a single gene are linked to 30 percent of cases of unexplained neuropathy. The findings, published online June 22 in the Annals of Neurology, could lead to desperately needed pain treatments for victims of this debilitating disorder."