Light-induced analgesia provides a drug-free optical method for pain relief via activation of TRAAK k+ channels

Pain management in animal experimentation is crucial for both ethical and scientific reasons, as unmanaged pain can distort physiological responses compromising data reliability. Current strategies are often invasive and pharmacology-based, introducing variability and confounding effects. Here, we present Light-Induced Analgesia, a drug-free, non-invasive method for pain relief in animals. We show that 365 nm illumination activates the pain-inhibitory TRAAK two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel. This activation is driven by the oxidation of a native methionine at TRAAK's regulatory fenestration site, triggering a conformational switch from its inactive (down) to active (up) state. We further demonstrate that this mechanism can be transferred to other related K2Ps via a single-point mutation, rendering them light-sensitive. In rodents, gentle skin exposure to 365 nm is sufficient to activate endogenous TRAAK, silence nociceptors, and produce potent, long-lasting analgesia that outperforms standard treatments. Light-Induced Analgesia thus offers an effective, drug-free alternative that can enhance animal welfare and experimental reliability in preclinical research.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-01-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67819-w
Primary Topic
Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Light-induced analgesia provides a drug-free optical method for pain relief via activation of TRAAK k+ channels

Marion Bied, Félix Viana, Johannes Broichhagen, Arnaud Landra-Willm et al.
Nature Communications
Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
article

Light-induced analgesia provides a drug-free optical method for pain relief via activation of TRAAK k+ channels

Marion Bied, Félix Viana, Johannes Broichhagen, Arnaud Landra-Willm, Wojciech Kopeć, Guillaume Sandoz, Kilian Roßmann, Pascal Fossat, Éric Boué‐Grabot, Elvira de la Peña, Stephen J. Tucker, Benjamin Sueur, Anne Amandine Chassot, Edward Francisco Mendez-Otalvaro, Jacques Noël
article en

Abstract

Pain management in animal experimentation is crucial for both ethical and scientific reasons, as unmanaged pain can distort physiological responses compromising data reliability. Current strategies are often invasive and pharmacology-based, introducing variability and confounding effects. Here, we present Light-Induced Analgesia, a drug-free, non-invasive method for pain relief in animals. We show that 365 nm illumination activates the pain-inhibitory TRAAK two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel. This activation is driven by the oxidation of a native methionine at TRAAK's regulatory fenestration site, triggering a conformational switch from its inactive (down) to active (up) state. We further demonstrate that this mechanism can be transferred to other related K2Ps via a single-point mutation, rendering them light-sensitive. In rodents, gentle skin exposure to 365 nm is sufficient to activate endogenous TRAAK, silence nociceptors, and produce potent, long-lasting analgesia that outperforms standard treatments. Light-Induced Analgesia thus offers an effective, drug-free alternative that can enhance animal welfare and experimental reliability in preclinical research.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 17(1)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Université de Bordeaux (FR), Inserm (FR), Queen Mary University of London (GB), Université Côte d'Azur (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (FR), University of Oxford (GB), Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives (FR), Instituto de Neurociencias (ES), Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (DE), Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (DE), Institut de Biologie Valrose (FR), Laboratoire d'Excellence Canaux Ioniques d'Intérêt Thérapeutique (FR), Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (FR), Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (DE)
European Commission, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Generalitat Valenciana, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Université de Bordeaux, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
Openalex Percentile: Top 79%
Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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