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A new study from Hebrew University reveals that acetaminophen doesn’t just work in the brain — it also blocks pain at its source by acting on nerve endings in the body. The researchers found that its active metabolite, AM404, shuts down specific sodium channels in pain-sensing neurons, stopping pain signals before they reach the brain. This discovery not only reshapes our understanding of how one of the world’s most common painkillers works, but also opens the door to developing safer, more targeted pain treatments.
A breakthrough study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, published this week in the prestigious journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA), reveals a previously unknown peripheral mechanism by which acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol, Tylenol®, or Panadol®) relieves pain.
The study was led by Prof. Alexander Binshtok from the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine and Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) and Prof. Avi Priel from its School of Pharmacy. Together, they uncovered a surprising new way that acetaminophen — one of the world’s most common painkillers — actually works.
