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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Author Spotlight: Induced Microglia-Like Cell Technology to Shed Light on the Role of Microglial Dysfunction in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Published on: September 6, 2024
Fibromyalgia and microglial TNF-α: Translational research using human blood induced microglia-like cells
Masahiro Ohgidani1, Takahiro A Kato2, Masako Hosoi3
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Fibromyalgia is a refractory disease characterized by chronic intractable pain and psychological suffering, the cause of which has not yet been elucidated due to its complex pathology. Activation of immune cells in the brain called microglia has attracted attention as a potential underlying pathological mechanism in chronic pain. Until recently, however, technological and ethical considerations have limited the ability to conduct research using human microglia. To overcome this limitation, we have recently developed a technique to create human-induced microglia-like (iMG) cells from human peripheral blood monocytes. In this study, we created the iMG cells from 14 patients with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy individuals, and compared the activation of iMG cells between two groups at the cellular level. The expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at mRNA and protein levels significantly increased in ATP-stimulated iMG cells from patients with fibromyalgia compared to cells from healthy individuals. Interestingly, there was a moderate correlation between ATP-induced upregulation of TNF-α expression and clinical parameters of subjective pain and other mental manifestations of fibromyalgia. These findings suggest that microglia in patients with fibromyalgia are hypersensitive to ATP. TNF-α from microglia may be a key factor underlying the complex pathology of fibromyalgia.
Insights
Fibromyalgia patients show hypersensitive microglia, immune cells in the brain. Increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in these cells may explain chronic pain and psychological symptoms in fibromyalgia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Fibromyalgia is a complex condition causing chronic pain and psychological distress.
- The exact pathology remains unclear, but microglia activation in the brain is a suspected factor.
- Research on human microglia has been limited by technological and ethical challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of human microglia in fibromyalgia.
- To compare the activation status of microglia between fibromyalgia patients and healthy individuals using a novel cell model.
Main Methods:
- Developed human-induced microglia-like (iMG) cells from peripheral blood monocytes of 14 fibromyalgia patients and 10 healthy controls.
- Compared ATP-stimulated iMG cell activation, specifically tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression at mRNA and protein levels.
Main Results:
- Significantly increased TNF-α expression in ATP-stimulated iMG cells from fibromyalgia patients compared to healthy controls.
- Moderate correlation observed between elevated TNF-α levels and clinical fibromyalgia symptoms, including pain and mental health manifestations.
- Suggests microglia in fibromyalgia patients are hypersensitive to ATP stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Human microglia, modeled as iMG cells, exhibit heightened activation in fibromyalgia patients.
- Increased TNF-α production by microglia may be a key contributor to fibromyalgia's complex pathology.
- This study provides a novel cellular model for investigating fibromyalgia mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.
