Why some pain treatments work in mice but not in people

Why do promising pain treatments sometimes work in laboratory animals but fail when tested in people? New research from neuroscientist Michael Hildebrand is helping explain the gap. Hildebrand, a professor at Carleton University, discusses research examining pain-processing receptors in the spinal cords of mice, rats and humans. The study found important differences between species, as well as unexpected changes in pain circuits as they develop from adolescence into adulthood. He explains how these findings could improve the way scientists study chronic pain and develop new treatments.