Mapping cell types in human sensory (dorsal root) ganglia
Characterization of human DRG at the single cell level via integrated transcriptomics and spatial proteomics
This project maps the different cell types and molecular signals in human dorsal root ganglia to help people with nerve pain or injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193865 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will map every cell type in human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) using high-resolution molecular and spatial methods. They obtain DRG tissue from consenting adult organ donors and prepare viable adult DRG cells for analysis. The team will combine single-cell RNA sequencing and ATAC-seq with imaging mass cytometry to measure many proteins while preserving cells' locations, and then integrate these data with bioinformatics. The work aims to reveal human-specific features of sensory neurons and surrounding support cells to improve translation of animal findings for people with pain or peripheral neuropathy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are consenting adults who donate tissue after death (organ donors) or patients within clinical settings where DRG tissue can ethically be collected for research.
Not a fit: Children and people who cannot or will not donate tissue, or those with conditions unrelated to sensory nerves, would not be eligible to participate or gain direct benefit from donating tissue.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify human-specific cellular markers and pathways that lead to better targets and strategies for treating nerve pain and peripheral neuropathies.
How similar studies have performed: Single-cell and spatial mapping in other human tissues has been successful, but detailed, integrated human DRG maps are still relatively new and less explored.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cavalli, Valeria — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Cavalli, Valeria
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.