Women are more likely than men to experience chronic pain that lingers long after an injury heals — and new research suggests the difference may lie in the immune system. In a study published in Science Immunology, researchers found that specialized immune cells called monocytes help actively switch off pain by releasing an anti-inflammatory molecule known as IL-10. These cells were significantly more active in males, driven in part by testosterone.
The findings challenge the outdated notion that women’s reports of persistent pain are rooted in perception or emotional sensitivity. Instead, the data point to a biological mechanism influencing how long pain lasts. When IL-10-producing monocytes were less active — as seen in females — recovery was delayed and pain persisted longer. Blocking male sex hormones reversed the pattern in laboratory models, reinforcing the hormone-linked immune response.
Researchers say pain resolution is not passive but an active, immune-driven process. Understanding this pathway could open the door to non-opioid strategies that promote faster recovery rather than simply masking symptoms. While treatments targeting this mechanism remain years away, the findings shift the conversation from how pain begins to why it refuses to end — especially in women.
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MedicalXpress, February 20, 2026