Tuan Trang, PhD, discusses biological differences in chronic pain between men and women

In a recent interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Tuan Trang, PhD, from the University of Calgary, discussed a study using pre-clinical rodent models to investigate the biological differences between men and women in experiencing neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain arises when the nervous system is damaged or not functioning properly because of injury or disease, leading to chronic and often debilitating pain. The researchers used both male and female rodents to explore potential differences in the underlying causes of this condition.

Their findings revealed a significant difference in the role of the immune system between the sexes. Specifically, they identified that a type of immune cell known as CD8+ T cells behaves differently in male and female rodents. In female rodents, these T cells enter the central nervous system and release leptin, a hormone typically associated with energy metabolism. However, in this context, leptin was found to contribute to neuropathic pain. Notably, this mechanism did not occur in male rodents, highlighting a fundamental biological distinction between the sexes in how neuropathic pain develops.

According to Trang, these findings have significant implications. First, they provide a deeper understanding of why men and women may experience chronic pain differently. Second, they identify leptin as a potential target for pain management, specifically in women. This discovery could lead to new therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing pain by targeting leptin. Additionally, leptin could serve as a biomarker to predict susceptibility to neuropathic pain in women.

Previous clinical studies had already observed that women with chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and arthritis, often have elevated leptin levels. However, the reason for this was unclear. Trang’s study bridges this gap by demonstrating that leptin plays a direct role in neuropathic pain, opening new possibilities for treatment strategies that specifically address pain in female patients.

This video is part 1 of a 2-part series. Check back tomorrow for part 2.

Reference

Fan CY, McAllister BB, Stokes-Heck S, et al. Divergent sex-specific pannexin-1 mechanisms in microglia and T cells underlie neuropathic pain. Neuron. 2025;113(6):896-911. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2025.01.005