“…Capsaicin (CPS, 1 ), the pungent principle of hot pepper, excites and then desensitizes a subset of primary sensory neurons involved in nociception, neurogenic inflammation, thermoregulation, and a variety of local regulatory functions. , Upon binding to a specific receptor, CPS opens a ligand-gated channel permeable to both monovalent and divalent cations . This leads to calcium influx and a subsequent release of inflammatory neuropeptides (e.g., tachykinins, calcitonin gene-related peptide) which mediate the afferent and efferent functions of CPS-sensitive neurons. − The remarkable selectivity of CPS for primary sensory neurons makes desensitization to CPS an attractive therapeutical approach to mitigate neurogenic pain and inflammation. − In fact, CPS-containing creams (e.g., Axsain, Zostrix) are already commercially available for these purposes, but irritance severely limits the pharmacological use of CPS. The synthesis of capsaicin-like compounds with an improved desensitization/irritation ratio or with a selective spinal antinociceptive activity has thus been pursued, with very limited success, for decades. − These efforts have been further stimulated by the discovery of a naturally occurring ultrapotent agonist (resiniferatoxin, RTX, 2 ) , and by the synthesis of a competitive antagonist (capsazepine, 3 ) …”