Hotheaded: TRPV1 as mediator of hippocampal synaptic plasticity

TRPV1 is a sensory transduction channel that mediates thermal nociception and some aspects of pathological pain. In this issue of Neuron, Gibson et al. report that TRPV1 also plays important roles in hippocampal synaptic plasticity, presenting a potential challenge for TRPV1-targeted therapeutics for the treatment of pain.