Impact of chronic pain on the immune system revealed

Written by Alice Weatherston

A new study by researchers at McGill University (QC, Canada) has revealed that chronic pain may play a key role in ‘reprogramming’ the functioning of genes within the immune system. The findings were published recently in Scientific Reports. Despite chronic pain making up one of the most common causes of disability worldwide, efforts to identify therapeutic strategies for the condition have so far proven unsuccessful. The research team in the current study examined DNA from the brain and white blood cells of rats using methyl marks. “Methyl marks are important for regulating how these genes function,” explained co-author Laura Stone...

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