The study of human peripheral pain is severely hampered by the lack of adequate human model systems. Recently, a protocol was published with which it is possible to produce peripheral sensory neurons from human pluripotent stem cells (Chambers et al., Nat. Biotechnology, 2012). We adapted this protocol and our in detail electrophysiological analysis showed significant expression not only of the known pain relevant sodium channels Nav1.7, Nav1.8 and Nav1.9, but also of the developmentally important Nav1.5. Thus, these stem cell derived human nociceptors provide a developmental stage and offer the possibility for the study of pain pathophysiology of the developing peripheral sensory nervous system.
Esther Eberhardt*, Steven Havlicek*, Diana Schmidt*, Andrea S. Link, Cristian Neacsu, Zacharias Kohl, Martin Hampl, Andreas M. Kist, Alexandra Klinger, Carla Nau, Jürgen Schüttler, Christian Alzheimer, Jürgen Winkler, Barbara Namer, Beate Winner#, Angelika Lampert#
Pattern of functional TTX-resistant sodium channels reveals developmental stage of human iPS- and ES cell-derived nociceptors.
<link http: www.sciencedirect.com science article pii s2213671115002167 _blank external-link-new-window externen link in neuem>Stem Cell Reports, in press. doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.07.010
