Skull Bone Marrow Linked to Chronic Pain Through Immune Signaling

A Harvard-led study in Science Translational Medicine found elevated TSPO levels in skull bone marrow that correlate with chronic pain. PET/MRI scans showed higher TSPO signals across skull regions in chronic pain patients (especially knee pain) and greater reported pain impact, with postmortem skull tissue from a chronic pain donor showing more TSPO-positive cells. The results suggest skull bone marrow participates in neuroimmune signaling tied to pain, offering a potential therapeutic target, though causality remains unproven and further research is needed.