Outlook in 2016

People with neuropathic pain have struggled to find relief with conventional drugs. Researchers are investigating whether more meaningful pain classifications could help.

For thousands of years people have sought explanations for pain and ways to ease it. Despite a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the sensation, much remains baffling, and the search for better treatments continues. By Stephanie Pain

Although genetics studies have so far failed to revolutionize pain treatments, some researchers think that a host of discoveries are just around the corner.

Pain researchers' arguments for using only male rodents in preclinical pain research don't hold up to scrutiny, says Jeffrey S. Mogil.

Technology for peering into the brain is revealing a pattern of pain, and differences between the acute and chronic forms.

Armed with a clearer understanding of how placebos work, researchers are suggesting that inactive substances might be used to mitigate chronic pain.

The dearth of treatment options for chronic pain has led to widespread over-prescription of strong opioids. But some innovative thinking is building a promising pipeline.

There is a long list of unknowns about the causes and symptomatology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But the research challenges can be distilled into four key areas.

Infections have long been thought to cause irritable bowel syndrome, but it has not been clear how. It seems that pathogens might be changing the behaviour of our gut microbiota.

Drugs for irritable bowel syndrome have so far been limited, but a promising stream of options could soon enter the market.

For years, researchers have tried to find biomarkers that could aid the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, and point to its underlying causes. But will one test ever be enough?

The latest iteration of the Rome criteria should improve diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, says Brian E. Lacy.

Many people with irritable bowel syndrome feel that they benefit from dietary interventions, but researchers still lack a full understanding of how food can inflame this disorder.

Peter Whorwell is Director of the South Manchester Neurogastroenterology Service and a gastroenterologist at the University Hospital of South Manchester, UK. He has been researching and treating patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for more than 35 years, and has seen the depths of despair that this condition can cause.

The term irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is relatively modern, but people have had similar symptoms for millennia. Initially thought to exist only in the mind, the disorder has gained legitimacy through the identification of causes and improved diagnosis. By Amber Dance.

The involvement of intestinal bacteria in gut-brain communication could help to explain the mysteries of irritable bowel syndrome, but the search continues for definitive evidence.

A more open approach to combating tropical diseases may help to overcome a pharmaceutical market failure.

In 2006, pharmaceutical innovation consultant Bernard Munos helped to launch a lively public discussion about how open innovation can bring novel drugs to market with his paper 'Can opensource R&D reinvigorate drug research? He tells Nature how things have changed since then.