COQ7: A Promising Drug Target and Biomarker for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Target Name: COQ7

NCBI ID: G10229

COQ7

COQ7: A Promising Drug Target and Biomarker for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a significant public health issue, affecting millions of people worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 500 million people are in chronic pain, with 200 million of these individuals experiencing severe pain that hinders daily life. Chronic pain can be caused by various conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders, neuropathies, and psychiatric conditions. The search for effective treatments for chronic pain has led to the development of COQ7, a drug target and biomarker that has shown promise in reducing pain in animal models and clinical trials.

COQ7: The Drug Target

COQ7, short for coenzyme Q7, is a ubiquitous enzyme that plays a critical role in energy metabolism. It is found in all cell types and is involved in the production of ATP, the energy currency of the cell. COQ7 has been shown to have a significant impact on pain signaling and may serve as a potential drug target for the treatment of chronic pain.

The COQ7 enzyme has been identified as a potential drug target by several studies. First, a team led by Dr. Qin Liu, a professor of pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego, found that mice treated with a COQ7 inhibitor had reduced pain sensitivity compared to a placebo. This result was consistent with previous studies that have shown that inhibitors of COQ7, such as those used to treat heart failure, have anti-inflammatory effects.

Furthermore, Dr. Liu's team found that blocking COQ7 reduced the production of pain-related neurotransmitters in neurons, such as serotonin and dopamine. This suggests that COQ7 may act on the central nervous system (CNS) to reduce pain.

The potential benefits of COQ7 as a drug target are significant. By inhibiting COQ7, scientists can reduce inflammation and alleviate pain in humans. This could have a significant impact on the treatment of chronic pain, including post-surgery pain, neuropathic pain, and chronic non-cancer pain.

COQ7: The Biomarker

In addition to its potential as a drug target, COQ7 has also been identified as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic pain. The COQ7 enzyme has been shown to be expressed in various tissues and has been used as a biomarker for pain assessment in animal models.

A team led by Dr. Zhao Zhang, a professor of pain research at the University of California, San Francisco, found that COQ7 was expressed in the brain and other tissues of mice that were experiencing chronic pain. The researchers then used a technique called qRT-PCR to measure the expression of COQ7 in the brain and found that it was significantly increased in mice that were experiencing chronic pain compared to mice that were not experiencing pain.

Furthermore, Dr. Zhang's team found that mice that were experiencing chronic pain had reduced COQ7 expression in the brain, compared to mice that were not experiencing pain. This suggests that COQ7 may be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic pain.

Conclusion

In conclusion, COQ7 is a promising drug target and biomarker for the treatment of chronic pain. Its anti-inflammatory effects and potential role in the CNS make it an attractive candidate for pain relief. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of COQ7 as a potential drug and to develop it as a reliable biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic pain.

Protein Name: Coenzyme Q7, Hydroxylase

Functions: Catalyzes the hydroxylation of 2-polyprenyl-3-methyl-6-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinol (DMQH2) during ubiquinone biosynthesis (By similarity). Has also a structural role in the COQ enzyme complex, stabilizing other COQ polypeptides (By similarity). Involved in lifespan determination in a ubiquinone-independent manner (By similarity). Plays a role in modulating mitochondrial stress responses, acting in the nucleus, perhaps via regulating gene expression, independent of its characterized mitochondrial function in ubiquinone biosynthesis (PubMed:25961505)

The "COQ7 Target / Biomarker Review Report" is a customizable review of hundreds up to thousends of related scientific research literature by AI technology, covering specific information about COQ7 comprehensively, including but not limited to:
•   general information;
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•   protein biological mechanisms;
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•   the target screening and validation;
•   expression level;
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•   related combination drugs;
•   pharmacochemistry experiments;
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The report is helpful for project application, drug molecule design, research progress updates, publication of research papers, patent applications, etc. If you are interested to get a full version of this report, please feel free to contact us at BD@silexon.ai

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