Single-cell RNA sequencing of human DRG neurons identifies 18 novel nociceptor subtypes
Summary
Single-cell transcriptomics of 72,000 human dorsal root ganglion neurons from 12 donors identified 18 molecularly distinct nociceptor subtypes, including 6 previously undescribed classes with unique ion channel expression profiles. Comparison with mouse DRG revealed significant species differences, calling into question the translational validity of rodent pain models for several drug targets.
Why it matters
Human DRG single-cell atlasing is foundational for next-generation pain drug discovery. The discovery of 6 novel human nociceptor types — and the species differences questioning mouse model validity — could redirect the entire pain pharmacology field toward human-specific targets.
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