Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It’s a condition that is still poorly understood, but new research is shedding light on its possible causes. In a recent study, scientists have discovered a possible cause of fibromyalgia in an animal model of the disease. They have found that a type of immune cell is invading nerve cells, leading to chronic and debilitating pain.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a complex and chronic pain disorder that affects the central nervous system. It’s characterized by chronic, widespread, and debilitating pain that is often accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms. Fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by central sensitization, where the central nervous system amplifies nerve signals passing through the brain and spinal cord, leading to increased pain sensitivity.
New Research on Fibromyalgia
Recent research has suggested that fibromyalgia may be an autoimmune disorder, where immune cells play a key role. In a 2021 study, researchers introduced antibodies from people with fibromyalgia into mice, which increased the test animals’ sensitivity to pain. This finding made a strong case for the syndrome operating as an autoimmune disorder.
In a similar study, researchers introduced immune cells called neutrophils collected from patients with fibromyalgia into mice. Neutrophils are typically involved in the innate immune response, the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens. The researchers found that the mice became sensitized to pain only with the human neutrophils circulating in their system, but not when other immune cells from fibromyalgia patients or cells from healthy volunteers were injected.
Immune Cells Invading Nerve Cells
In a series of imaging experiments, the researchers found that human neutrophils collected from fibromyalgia patients were invading bundles of sensory nerves called ganglia in the animal’s peripheral nervous system. That invasion was swift, with the mice’s spinal cord cells becoming overly responsive to painful stimuli within just an hour of the human cells flooding their bloodstream.
Neutrophils are not normally found within tissues of the nervous system, only in instances of injury or disease. Research has found a surprisingly high number of neutrophils in the bloodstream of fibromyalgia patients, along with elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokines neutrophils produce.
Potential Treatment Approaches
The discovery that neutrophils infiltrate nerve cells and send pain processing awry opens the door to potential treatment approaches for fibromyalgia. When the researchers depleted mice primed to the pain of neutrophils, the onset of persistent widespread pain was measurably delayed. These data demonstrate that neutrophils are fundamental for the development of chronic widespread pain through the infiltration of peripheral sensory ganglia.
Conclusion
While this study sheds light on the possible causes of fibromyalgia, more research is needed to understand the condition better fully. Researchers are still debating whether fibromyalgia has a neurological origin or an immunological one. However, this study strengthens the evidence for the latter and introduces questions of its own. The study suggests that neutrophils play a role beyond acute inflammatory pain, possibly tripping the nervous system into a state of lasting chronic pain.
FAQ
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that is thought to be triggered by central sensitization, where the body’s central nervous system amplifies nerve signals passing through the brain and spinal cord, leading to widespread and debilitating pain.
What is the connection between fibromyalgia and the immune system?
Recent research suggests that fibromyalgia may be an autoimmune disorder, or at least one where immune cells play a key role. Neutrophils, a type of immune cell, have been found in high numbers in the bloodstream of fibromyalgia patients and have been observed invading sensory nerves in animal models of the disease.
What are neutrophils and how do they contribute to fibromyalgia?
Neutrophils are a type of immune cell that are involved in the body’s first line of defense against invading pathogens. In fibromyalgia patients, high numbers of neutrophils have been found in the bloodstream, along with elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokines they produce. Recent research has observed human neutrophils invading sensory nerves in animal models of the disease, potentially contributing to the chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia.
Can neutrophils be targeted as a treatment for fibromyalgia?
Research suggests that neutrophils may play a role in the development of chronic pain through their infiltration of peripheral sensory ganglia. Depleting mice of neutrophils delayed the onset of persistent widespread pain in animal models of the disease. This opens up the possibility of targeting neutrophils as a potential treatment approach for fibromyalgia in humans, although more research is needed.