Writing in the journal, Nedergaard's team describe how acupuncture reduced pain by two thirds in normal mice, but had no effect on the discomfort of mice that lacked the adenosine receptor gene.

But antipain specificity is ensured by allowing it to enter via the TRPV1 channel, a capsaicin receptor found only in pain-sensing neurons.

As the member of transient receptor potential family of ion channels, vanilloid receptor is the new target against pain.