Chronic Pain Reprograms Our Immune Systems and Our Brains
A fascinating study from McGill University suggests that parallel changes methylation occur in both our brains and in our T-cells
Next week’s lecture in “Autoimmunity and Human Health” is on Chronic Pain and Autoimmunity. Reminder: Pierre Kory will be lecturing on PANDAS in a few weeks!
A study from McGill University, titled "Chronic pain changes our immune systems,", published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveals that chronic pain can alter the way genes function in the immune system. Specifically, the research found that chronic pain changes the DNA marking not only in the brain but also in T cells, which are a type of white blood cell essential for immunity.
The study used rat models and examined DNA from their brains and white blood cells. The researchers mapped DNA marking by a chemical called a methyl group, which is crucial for regulating gene function. This area of study falls under the growing field of epigenetics, which involves modifications that turn genes 'on' or 'off,' effectively reprogramming how they work.
The researchers were surprised by the extensive number of genes that were marked by chronic pain, ranging from hundreds to thousands. These findings could have implications for other systems in the body that are not normally associated with pain. The study suggests that understanding these epigenetic changes could open new avenues for diagnosing and treating chronic pain.
The article emphasizes the devastating impact of chronic pain on other important parts of the body, such as the immune system, and highlights the need for new therapeutic strategies for chronic pain, which remains one of the most common causes of disability worldwide.
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Glad I signed up for this stack
-at wits end 😔