Secret behind how common painkiller works discovered

A team from King’s College London (KCL) has found that the drug interacts with a protein found in nerve cells, which was previously thought to trigger reactions to irritants.

Despite being commonly used to treat cold and flu, how the drug worked had remained a mystery. But the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a protein called TRPA1, on the surface of nerve cells, was key in the painkiller’s effectiveness.

Dr David Andersson, from the Wolfson Centre for Age Related Diseases at KCL, said: “If the recommended paracetamol dose is significantly exceeded it can lead to fatal complications.

“We can now look for molecules that work in the same way to relieve pain, but are less toxic and will not lead to serious complications following overdose.”