In this plenary talk, Dr. Price will discuss ongoing work from his lab aimed at understanding the molecular phenotype of cells in the human dorsal root ganglion. This work includes an assessment of gene expression using spatial and single-nucleus RNA sequencing as well as histological and functional studies. DRG samples are recovered from organ donors with and without a history of neuropathic pain and from patients having relatively rare surgeries where the DRG is removed during the surgery, like thoracic vertebrectomy. The studies collectively give new insight into the mechanisms of neuropathic pain in humans. Dr. Price will discuss 3 primary areas of investigation. The first will cover the molecular phenotype of human nociceptors and how these may change in people with neuropathic pain. The second will cover how transcriptomes change in thoracic vertebrectomy patients with neuropathic pain, including prominent sex differences. The last will describe pathology in the DRG of organ donors who died with a clear history of diabetic neuropathic pain. The findings have important implications for the development of disease-modifying therapeutics for neuropathic pain.


Learning Objectives
1. Upon completion, the participant will be better able to understand how transcriptional changes in immune cells are different in males and females with neuropathic pain.
2. Upon completion, the participant will be better able to understand how advanced sequencing technologies can be used to reveal neuropathic pain mechanisms in humans.

3. Upon completion, the participant will be better able to describe how human nociceptors differ from rodent nociceptors in specific ways.