Thanks for this great feedback once again. That's is a very interesting connection you made there. There are not many studies on this, but there is some correlational evidence, in support of picture of SLE flare that you drew. The TRPV1+ neurons seem to be hyper-responsive in SLE. For instance, in this poster abstract the authors suggest that skin reaction to capsaicin (the chemical activator of TRPV1+ neurons) is much stronger in SLE patients. Of course we would need much more evidence than this, but I think its a promising direction to ponder in. Actually, this whole anticipatory immunity opens up a whole new pandora's box. For instance, we know chronic pain can be path to depression. We know depression is associated with low grade inflammation in body. Is there a connection between these two dots? I don't know. It's a far fetched hunch. But it's worth giving a shot to this experiment.

Also, my apologies that I got a bit carried away this time and didn't simplify the technical terms. I know I ended up talking as if I am presenting this in my lab. This feedback would be helpful when I write the next journal club post.