Overview
- In Science Immunology, researchers report a subset of monocytes produces interleukin-10 that actively silences pain signaling.
- Male mice had more IL-10–producing monocytes and resolved pain sooner, establishing causality across multiple injury models.
- Hormone manipulations in mice shifted outcomes: testosterone implants sped pain resolution in females without ovaries, whereas removal of testes delayed recovery.
- In a cohort of about 245 injured patients, men recovered from pain faster and showed higher monocyte and IL-10 levels than women.
- The team highlights a potential therapeutic target but notes no clinical treatments exist yet; the work was funded by the NIH and the Department of Defense.