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Published on: March 28, 2025
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Pathways of pain.
Amélie Joly1, Irene Miguel-Aliaga1
1The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 18, 2025
Summary
Estrogen influences hormone-producing cells in the mouse gut, altering communication pathways to manage visceral pain responses. This hormonal cross-talk is key for pain regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neurogastroenterology
- Endocrinology
- Pain Research
Background:
- Visceral pain involves complex interactions within the gastrointestinal tract.
- Hormonal signaling, particularly estrogen, is implicated in pain modulation.
- The specific mechanisms of estrogen's role in gut-related pain are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how estrogen affects the communication between hormone-secreting cells in the mouse gut.
- To elucidate the role of this cellular cross-talk in the regulation of visceral pain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mouse models to study gut endocrine cell function.
- Employed techniques to assess cell-to-cell communication and hormonal signaling.
- Analyzed the impact of estrogen manipulation on visceral pain behaviors.
Main Results:
- Estrogen was found to modulate the cross-talk between specific gut hormone-secreting cell populations.
- This estrogen-mediated cellular communication directly influences the pathways controlling visceral pain perception.
- Changes in gut endocrine signaling correlated with altered pain sensitivity in mice.
Conclusions:
- Estrogen plays a critical role in regulating visceral pain by tuning the communication networks of gut endocrine cells.
- Targeting estrogen-dependent gut signaling pathways may offer novel therapeutic strategies for visceral pain conditions.
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