Beyond Borders: How Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Is Becoming a Global Powerhouse in Scientific Publishing

The Universal Language of Pain Relief

Imagine a world where groundbreaking pain research from Seoul reaches a surgeon in São Paulo within seconds—where anesthetic innovations from Duke University transform postoperative care in Delhi. This is the new reality of global scientific publishing in anesthesiology and pain medicine.

As chronic pain affects one-third of the U.S. population and opioid overdoses claim over 80,000 American lives annually, the need for worldwide collaboration has never been greater ⁵ . Leading this charge is Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (APM), the official journal of twelve subspecialty societies under the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists. Once a domestic publication in Korean, APM has undergone a dramatic metamorphosis—adopting English in 2019, securing indexing in Scopus, PubMed Central, and DOAJ, and joining forces with global research consortia to combat pain across continents ⁷ ² . This article explores how APM's expansion mirrors revolutionary shifts in pain management science worldwide.

The Global Research Renaissance in Pain Management

The Driving Forces Behind International Collaboration

Pain management has evolved from isolated national efforts to a unified global mission. Bibliometric data reveals staggering growth: annual publications on perioperative analgesia surged from 142 in 2012 to 507 in 2021, with the U.S. (40.8%), China (11.3%), and Canada (7.4%) leading contributions ⁸ . This explosion stems from three seismic shifts:

Clinical Urgency: With 80% of U.S. patients experiencing inadequate postoperative pain control, multi-modal approaches (combining regional blocks, non-opioids, and novel receptors) have become critical ⁸ .
Technological Convergence: Biased agonism (targeting specific pain-relief pathways) now enables precision analgesia without traditional opioid risks ⁵ .
Policy Reinvention: Journals like APM enforce strict COPE compliance and open peer review, combating predatory publishing while democratizing knowledge ⁷ ⁹ .

Journals as Knowledge Bridges

APM exemplifies how journals transform into cross-border networks. Its 2023 editorial strategy prioritized:

Indexing Expansion: Securing Scopus and DOAJ validation to amplify global credibility ⁷ .
Diversity by Design: Recruiting editorial boards from >15 countries to dismantle geographic bias.
Rapid Dissemination: A 28-day first-decision window accelerating the sharing of critical findings like intraoperative hypothermia risks in geriatrics ² .

**Table 1: Global Research Output in Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (2012–2021)** ⁸
Country	Publications (%)	Citations	H-Index
USA	40.8%	24,451	73
China	11.3%	2,948	27
Canada	7.4%	9,008	41
Germany	4.5%	4,436	29

Spotlight: The Duke Experiment Rewriting Pain Pharmacology

The SBI-810 Breakthrough: Methodology

At Duke University's Anesthesiology Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Dr. Ru-Rong Ji's team engineered SBI-810—a compound targeting neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) without triggering opioid reward pathways ⁵ . Their 2025 Cell study deployed:

Molecular Design

Biased Agonism: SBI-810 selectively activates β-arrestin-2 (pain-blocking pathway) while avoiding G-protein cascades linked to addiction.
Dual-Action Delivery: Administered via injection to peripheral nerves and spinal cord sites.

Preclinical Validation

Models: Mice with surgical incisions, bone fractures, or nerve injuries.
Controls: Morphine, oliceridine (newer opioid), and gabapentin.
Metrics: Pain behaviors (guarding/grimacing), tolerance development, and side effects (constipation/sedation).

Results That Could Reshape Pain Practice

SBI-810 outperformed all comparators:

Superior Analgesia: 50% greater reduction in spontaneous pain behaviors vs. oliceridine.
Zero Addiction Risk: Absence of dopamine surges in reward centers.
Side Effect Resistance: No tolerance after repeated dosing; negligible constipation or cognitive fog.

**Table 2: SBI-810 vs. Standard Analgesics in Preclinical Models** ⁵
Metric	SBI-810	Morphine	Gabapentin
Acute Pain Relief	++++	+++	++
Chronic Neuropathy	++++	++	+++
Tolerance Development	None	High	Moderate
Constipation Risk	None	Severe	Low
Sedation	None	Moderate	Severe

Implications: A Post-Opioid Paradigm?

"SBI-810's precision avoids the sledgehammer effect of opioids. We're hacking pain biology—not just masking it."
– Dr. Ji, Duke University ⁵

Human trials are now underway, with patents filed globally. If successful, such therapies could slash reliance on opioids for 50 million chronic pain patients.

The Scientist's Toolkit: Global Research Reagent Solutions

Modern pain research relies on specialized tools. Here's what's powering labs from Seoul to São Paulo:

**Table 3: Essential Reagents in Contemporary Anesthesia/Pain Research**
Reagent/Technique	Function	Global Impact
Neurotensin Receptor Agonists (e.g., SBI-810)	Target NTSR1 for biased signaling	Non-addictive alternative to opioids ⁵
Transdermal Buprenorphine Patches	Mixed opioid agonist for chronic pain	Elderly pain relief without cognitive decline ¹
Scalpel-Bougie Cricothyrotomy Kits	Emergency airway management	24% fewer false passages vs. dilator techniques ¹
Procalcitonin Variants	Sepsis biomarkers	Early detection of inflammatory complications ³
Pulse Oximeter-Enhanced Infusion Pumps	Gravity-based IV accuracy	Precision dosing via drop-weight algorithms ²

Conclusion: The Future Is Collaborative and Compassionate

APM's evolution from a Korean journal to a global beacon epitomizes anesthesia and pain medicine's broader transformation. As Duke's SBI-810 trial shows, solutions to humanity's most persistent pain challenges will emerge from shared knowledge ecosystems—where a discovery in Durham informs practice in Delhi. With journals now prioritizing diversity, rapid dissemination, and ethical rigor ³ ⁷ , the field is poised to turn the page on the opioid era. The next frontier? Artificial intelligence that predicts analgesic needs without bias, and gene therapies that preempt surgical pain before the first incision. As APM Editor-in-Chief Dr. Hyun Kang declares: "Our journal's globalization isn't about prestige—it's about creating a planetary alliance against suffering." ⁷ .

For further reading, explore the Global Journal of Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (GJAPM) or Anesthesia & Analgesia's special section on opioid alternatives ¹ ³ .