Hormone-driven immune cells may explain sex differences in chronic pain

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260222/Hormone-driven-immune-cells-may-explain-sex-differences-in-chronic-pain.aspx Chronic pain lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests differences in hormone-regulated immune cells, called monocytes, may help explain why. In a new paper in Science Immunology, researchers at Michigan State University found a subset of monocytes release a molecule to switch off pain. These cells are more active in males due to higher levels of sex hormones such as testosterone, the team found.