A University of Alberta research team has uncovered differences in the way male and female mice develop and resolve chronic pain, pointing to potential pathways for future targeted treatments for humans.
In recently published research in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the team reports on its study of mice with chronic pain resulting from inflammation rather than direct injury. The researchers found that the female mice were more sensitive to the effects of immune cells called macrophages. They also identified an X chromosome-linked receptor that is critical for resolving both acute and chronic inflammation in both sexes.
“We’re always interested in understanding the triggers for pain, but in this study, we went up the next step to ask how pain resolves to determine how these immune cells are involved,” explains principal investigator Bradley Kerr, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.
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