Taiwan researchers have discovered how fear acts in animal tests and they are working to develop an inhibitor in three years to help sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a report reaching from Taipei on Monday.

Gean Po-wu, a professor of pharmacology at the Tainan-based Cheng Kung University's College of Medicine, released the research report at a meeting of the Pharmacological Society in Taiwan during the 21st joint congress of biomedical sciences held on March 18-19 in Taipei.

Gean explained that fear is ignited by the function of receptors of excitatory amino acids on the surface of cells. Once there is an inhibitor that is able to enter into cells to disable the function of receptors of excitatory amino acids, then the feeling of fear can be wiped out.

Currently, cognitive behavioral therapy is the main method of treating PTSD sufferers, but this method has its limits as it cannot erase the nightmarish memories, Gean said.

With an inhibitor of the receptor of excitatory amino acids, it will be possible to rub out the feeling of fear, he said.

The use of cognitive behavioral therapy together with the drug that works as an inhibitor is expected to significantly boost the success rate of treating PTSD sufferers, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2006)