A recent study by the University of Arizona Health Sciences has uncovered sex-specific differences in nociceptors, the nerve cells responsible for pain perception. The research reveals that males and females experience pain differently due to distinct activation thresholds in nociceptor cells, influenced by hormones like prolactin and orexin B. These findings suggest the need for gender-specific treatments for pain management, challenging previous assumptions and paving the way for precision medicine approaches that consider a patient’s sex as a critical factor.
Researchers have discovered sex-specific differences in the nerve cells that generate pain, paving the way for personalized pain management treatments based on patient sex. Research indicates that men and women experience pain differently, but the reasons behind this have remained unclear. A new study from the University of Arizona Health Sciences , published in BRAIN , has now identified functional sex differences in nociceptors, the specialized nerve cells that produce pain.
The findings support the implementation of a precision medicine-based approach that considers patient sex as fundamental to the choice of treatment for managing pain. “Conceptually, this paper is a big advance in our understanding of how pain may be produced in males and females,” said Frank Porreca, PhD, research director of the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction at UArizona Health Sciences and professor and associate department he.
