HEAL PRECISION: Human Nociceptor and Spinal Cord Molecular Signature Center
The goal of this research project is to create a scientific foundation that will inform novel pain therapeutics, by forming a deeper understanding of the molecular characteristics of the human pain pathways. By studying human dorsal root ganglion (DRG), we aim to identify the mechanisms that cause chronic pain. Firstly, our Center will use single cell and spatial transcriptomic technologies on human sensory neurons from tissues recovered from both organ donors and patients enduring chronic pain who are having surgeries to remove DRGs or peripheral nerves, to identify molecular phenotypes. Secondly, our team will use single cell and spatial profiling on spinal cord recovered from organ donors to detail the connections of the human pain pathway at the first synapse. Our findings will... (for more see dbGaP study page.)