New Evidence Links Fibromyalgia to Immune System

A team of researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the University of Liverpool and King’s College London has found that many symptoms of fibromyalgia occur when the antibodies in an individual increase the activity of pain-sensing nerves.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome that causes mental distress and bodily pain. The disease is classified as a rheumatic condition because it causes myofascial pain or soft tissue pain. Individuals living with fibromyalgia also have sensitivity to cold and pressure all over their bodies, in addition to experiencing emotional distress, fatigue and trouble sleeping. It is estimated that roughly 4 million adults in the United States are living with fibromyalgia, with trusted sources noting that of this number, nearly 80% are women.

The condition has no cure, which is why individuals living with the condition are advised to make changes to their lifestyles, including improving sleeping habits and increasing their levels of physical activity. Physicians may also prescribe treatments that help relieve some of the condition’s symptoms, such as antidepressants and pain-relief medication.

Researchers are still not sure what causes this chronic ailment. However, there are some signs that the immune system may play a role. For instance, individuals with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus are more likely to develop the condition in comparison with other individuals who don’t suffer from these specific autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system of an individual attacks the body’s tissues.

For their study, the researchers injected antibodies extracted from individuals with fibromyalgia into mice, observing that the mice became weaker and didn’t move around as much. This is in addition to becoming more sensitive to unpleasant stimuli. In contrast, the mice weren’t affected by antibodies obtained from healthy controls.

The researchers also found that the antibodies bound to dorsal root ganglia cells. These neurons help relay sensory signals to the central nervous system from the peripheral nervous system. The study was reported in the “Journal of Clinical Investigation.”

One of the principal investigators of the study, David Anderson, stated that the study’s implications were profound, with Dr. Andreas Goebel adding that the study’s findings offered hope that the condition’s symptoms could be treated. Prof. Camilla Svensson also noted that the group was now focused on identifying what factors the antibodies bound to, which would be useful in developing blood-based tests for diagnosis as well as helping develop new treatment strategies for fibromyalgia.

Speaking of new treatment strategies for fibromyalgia, a number of companies, such as Tryp Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: TRYP) (OTCQB: TRYPF), are exploring the use of psilocybin formulations to provide a remedy to the sufferers of fibromyalgia.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Tryp Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: TRYP) (OTCQB: TRYPF) available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/TRYPF

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