Fibromyalgia and the Immune System
A new study from King’s College London strengthens the case that fibromyalgia is driven by the immune system, not the brain. The condition, which affects around 1 in 20 people in the UK, is marked by chronic pain, fatigue, and unusual sensory problems such as tingling, pins and needles, and heightened sensitivity to fabrics or cold temperatures.
Researchers found that antibodies taken from fibromyalgia patients, when injected into mice, altered the behaviour of nerve cells in the skin known as mechanoreceptors. These normally respond to touch, but under the influence of the antibodies, also became sensitive to cold. Similar nerve changes were confirmed in human patients, providing new evidence that immune antibodies are central to the condition.
This discovery could explain why people with fibromyalgia experience debilitating sensory abnormalities and opens the door to potential diagnostic tests and targeted drug treatments. Scientists say further work is needed to pinpoint exactly how these antibodies differ from those in healthy people, but the findings represent a major step forward in understanding and tackling fibromyalgia.
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Credit: Kings College London