Fibromyalgia Tissue Bank to Study Role of Glial Cells

The world's first fibromyalgia tissue bank has been established at Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City, Arizona. The tissue bank will expand the area of arthritis research and explore the role of glial cells as they relate to fibromyalgia pain.

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Glial cells, also known as glia, are supportive cells in the brain and spinal cord which do not conduct electrical impulses, unlike neurons which do. The first human tissue study to determine if glial cells are involved in long-term pain conditions will hopefully lead to improved treatments. According to the institute, the research could be important for 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain conditions ranging from nerve damage, arthritis inflammation, and fibromyalgia to cancer and AIDS. Fibromyalgia tissue donors will be asked to visit the institute each year to undergo a fibromyalgia evaluation and complete a pain assessment questionnaire. Actual tissue donation would not occur until the donor's death.

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