From Ed Prior, Poquoson, Virginia, US
Jessica Hamzelou reports genetic research on a family that doesn't feel pain (23/30 December 2017, p 14). This is important for people suffering from injuries and could help stop the opioid crisis. But there is a huge downside to losing the sense of pain. A member of my family has type 2 diabetes and lost sensation in his foot. He fractured it without realising and kept walking, causing so much damage that it was amputated.
