Researchers have managed to uncover the mechanism by which the human body retains «memories» of painful sensations experienced in early childhood, which is an important element of the immune system.
According to Independent
Scientists from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have found that macrophages, key cells of the immune system, retain information about pain experienced in childhood.
The study revealed that reactions to pain are activated in macrophages, which play a crucial role in fighting infections. Interestingly, more intense reactions were found in women.
Scientists found that male mice subjected to childhood trauma showed epigenetic changes similar to those observed in females, but their «memory» was less enduring. In females, the effect persisted for over 100 days after the trauma.
Experiments with bone marrow showed that injured stem cells trigger more sensitive reactions in macrophages, intensifying the sensation of pain.
«We were surprised to see how local trauma so profoundly impacted systemic epigenetic and transcriptomic patterns in macrophages,» noted Michael Yanovsky, deputy director of the Cincinnati Children’s Pain Research Center.
Further research showed that changes in the p75NTR gene could be detected in human macrophages, and it takes from 10 to 15 years for the «memory» to form.
Scientists were also able to block the p75NTR receptor in young mice, reducing the ability of macrophages to transmit pain information. This led to a decrease in the intensity of the pain reaction. However, the safety of such methods for humans remains unknown.
