The Two Sides of NaV1.7: Painful and Painless Channelopathies

Sodium channel Na(V)1.7 is a major target in pain research, largely because of genetic validation. In this issue of Neuron, McDermott et al. (2019) now present a comprehensive assessment of congenital pain insensitivity due to Na(V)1.7 loss of function. This work and studies on Na(V)1.7 gain of function raise important questions about how channelopathies produce disease.