Cara Gonzales, an associate professor at UT Health San Antonio’s comprehensive dentistry department, starting working with capsazepine several years ago, when she was studying ways to reduce pain from oral cancer.

As part of that work, Gonzales examined how oral tumors activate a certain pain receptor that regulates body temperature — the same receptor that triggers a burning sensation in the mouth after eating jalapeños. Capsazepine was among the compounds that could block that receptor, thus reducing patients’ pain.

To read more, check out the article “San Antonio researchers check synthetic version of capsaicin — the heat in chile peppers — for cancer-killing effects.“