Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo just outside Rome have come up with a technique for managing chronic pain using light, according to an article published in Nature Communications on Tuesday.

The research team led by Paul Heppenstall has developed a light-sensitive chemical that selectively binds to a special population of nerve cells in the skin that are responsible for sensitivity to gentle touch and which also cause severe pain in patients with neuropathic pain.