The mechanism of action of paracetamol remains a mystery

The complete mechanism of action of paracetamol remains unknown, more than a century after its discovery. It acts mainly at the level of the central nervous system by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, but its exact targets are still the subject of unproven scientific hypotheses in humans. A 2006 study suggests in particular that it targets a peroxidase site or that it activates serotonergic neurons in the spinal cord.