Overview
- The work pairs mouse experiments with data from emergency-room patients after motor vehicle collisions to study pain resolution after injury.
- Across species, males tended to recover from pain more quickly than females in the post-injury period.
- Analyses indicate that circulating monocytes are the primary source of IL-10 at injury sites.
- Testosterone was associated with higher IL-10 production by monocytes, providing a potential mechanism for the observed sex differences.
- The findings support a shift toward therapies that enhance the body's pain-resolution pathways, though clinical translation remains preliminary.