Study reveals how female hormones trigger opioid production for pain suppression

Scientists have discovered a new mechanism that acts via an immune cell and points toward a different way of treating chronic pain.
Female hormones can suppress pain by making immune cells near the spinal cord produce opioids, a new study from researchers at UC San Francisco has found. This stops pain signals before they get to the brain.
The discovery could help with developing new treatments for chronic pain. It may also explain why some painkillers work better for women than men and why postmenopausal women experience more pain.
The work reveals an entirely new role for T regulatory immune cells (T-regs), which are known for their ability to reduce inflammation.