Scientists have discovered a "Pain Gene", which could explain why some people have more tolerance power to pain and why some are more sensitive to it.

The findings suggest that gene therapy might, in the future, become a treatment alternative for patients with severe chronic pain.

Scientists, in their study, discovered a mutated version of a gene of 578 people who were suffering from osteoarthritis.

They also found the same gene in patients with phantom pain, back problems, sciatica and pancreatitis.

They subsequently analyzed 186 healthy women, revealing enhanced pain sensations in women with the same gene.

Dr. Geoffrey Woods, who is a Medical Geneticist from Cambridge University, said, "Finding a gene responsible for pain could greatly increase the ability to conquer and control it".

"As a sense, pain serves as an adaptive mechanism that protects us from tissue damage by alerting us to events that are capable of producing injury and evokes behaviors that promote tissue healing", said Dr. Woods.

"The search for effective analgesics with acceptable side effects has long been the goal of doctors and biomedical researchers", he said.

"Because current therapies have limited efficacy, with up to 50 per cent of treated subjects receiving inadequate pain relief, there exists a significant need to develop better therapies", he concluded.

The findings have been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.