Published on February 13, 2026
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Updated on February 13, 2026
Dates
on the February 9, 2026
Guillaume Sandoz's team at the Valrose Biology Institute, in collaboration with the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, has demonstrated that violet light (380 nm) can activate a natural pain inhibition mechanism in rodents. Published on January 26, 2026, in Nature Communications, this research describes a non-invasive approach that is more sustainable than certain conventional painkillers. It also identifies the TRAAK protein as a promising therapeutic target.
Called LIA (Light-Induced Analgesia), this method is based on the activation of the TRAAK ion channel, a protein involved in the regulation of nociceptive transmission. A few minutes of exposure are sufficient to produce a significant analgesic effect, including in chronic pain models, without injection or systemic action on the body.
Although this mechanism does not work in humans due to a difference in the TRAAK sequence, the study nevertheless identifies this protein as a strategic therapeutic target. It paves the way for the development of new targeted approaches to pain, inspired by this biological mechanism.
Find out more on the CNRS Biology website
Valrose Biology Institute: Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS/Inserm
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNRS/University of Bordeaux)
Although this mechanism does not work in humans due to a difference in the TRAAK sequence, the study nevertheless identifies this protein as a strategic therapeutic target. It paves the way for the development of new targeted approaches to pain, inspired by this biological mechanism.
Find out more on the CNRS Biology website
Valrose Biology Institute: Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS/Inserm
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CNRS/University of Bordeaux)
