Stephanie I. Shiers

Prolactin Receptor Long Isoform ΔS1 Expression is Reduced in the Dorsal Root Ganglia of Humans with Chronic Pain

The paper examines PRLR isoform expression in human dorsal root ganglia, finding higher PRLR-L (ΔS1) expression in females and reduced expression in females with chronic pain.

History of opioid use disorder correlates with altered neuroimmune signatures in the human dorsal root ganglia

The paper examines molecular and physiological changes in dorsal root ganglia from individuals with and without opioid use disorder, identifying altered neuroimmune signatures and sensitized sensory neurons.

Chronic lower limb pain is not associated with a loss of inhibitory neurons in the human lumbar spinal dorsal horn

This study examines the anatomical changes in the human lumbar spinal dorsal horn in relation to chronic lower limb pain and finds no association with neuronal density or inhibitory neuron loss.

NaV1.7-dependent peripheral sensitization drives chronic pain in Parkinson's disease

This study identifies NaV1.7-dependent peripheral sensitization as a mechanism of chronic pain in Parkinson's disease and highlights CRMP2 regulation of NaV1.7 as a therapeutic target.

Nav1.8 mediates peripheral-to-central nociceptive transmission independently of central presynaptic mechanisms in human DRG-spinal cord circuits

This study shows that Nav1.8 blockers reduce spinal CGRP release only when applied to peripheral sites, indicating their mechanism acts at the peripheral level rather than the central nervous system.

Molecular architecture of human dermal sleeping nociceptors

The paper identifies OSMR and SST as molecular markers for human dermal sleeping nociceptors, providing new therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain.

Progressive neurodegeneration in human dorsal root ganglion from diabetes to painful neuropathy

The paper investigates neurodegeneration in dorsal root ganglia across diabetes and diabetic painful neuropathy stages, identifying early molecular changes and highlighting the need for early intervention.

A Reference Atlas of the Human Dorsal Root Ganglion

This paper constructs a human dorsal root ganglion reference atlas, identifying 22 neuronal subtypes and 10 non-neuronal cell types, and reveals functional differences between human and mouse DRG neurons.

A molecular map of the human spinal dorsal and ventral horn defines arrangement of neuronal types and glial sex differences

The paper maps molecular features of human spinal cord dorsal and ventral horns, identifying neuronal types and sex-specific glial differences using single-nucleus sequencing and spatial transcriptomics.

Enabling wider access to human molecular neuroscience research in pain: A simple preservation method for human dorsal root ganglion neurons in Hibernate A media

This paper introduces a method to preserve human dorsal root ganglion neurons using Hibernate media, enabling easier access and transport for research.

Deciphering the molecular landscape of human peripheral nerves: implications for diabetic peripheral neuropathy

This study uses bulk and spatial RNA sequencing to analyze human peripheral nerves in diabetic patients, revealing pathway differences, immune cell shifts, and mRNA localization changes linked to diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn associated with chronic pain and long-term opioid use

Spatial transcriptomic profiling of human paravertebral sympathetic chain ganglia reveals diabetes-induced neuroplasticity

This paper uses spatial transcriptomics to analyze human sympathetic chain ganglia in diabetes, identifying neuronal and non-neuronal changes linked to autonomic dysfunction.

Expansion of OSMR expression and signaling in the human dorsal root ganglion links OSM to neuropathic pain

The paper shows OSM-OSMR signaling via MAPKs drives transcriptomic changes in human DRG linked to neuropathic pain.

Transcriptomic and histological characterization of telocytes in the human dorsal root ganglion

This study identifies CD34/PDGFRA+ cells in human dorsal root ganglia as putative telocytes, characterizes their subclusters, and shows their proximity to neurons and blood vessels without ultrastructural variation.

Functional expression and sex dimorphism of the T-type Cav3.2 Calcium Channel in human DRG Neurons

The paper demonstrates that Cav3.2 calcium channels are expressed in human DRG neurons and exhibit sex dimorphism, supporting their role in pain mechanisms.

Multi-omic integration with human DRG proteomics highlights TNFα signalling as a relevant sexually dimorphic pathway

The paper integrates human DRG proteomics with multi-omic data to identify TNFα signalling as a sexually dimorphic pathway in the PNS.

Spatial, transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses link dorsal horn neurons to chronic pain genetic predisposition

The paper links chronic pain genetic variants to dorsal horn neuron subtypes using multi-species single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses.

Nageotte nodules in human DRG reveal neurodegeneration in painful diabetic neuropathy

The paper identifies Nageotte nodules in diabetic painful neuropathy DRGs, showing they contain dead neurons and are linked to pain and sensory loss.

Interleukin-6 induces nascent protein synthesis in human DRG nociceptors via MNK-eIF4E signaling

The paper shows IL-6 increases nascent protein synthesis in human DRG nociceptors through MNK1/2-eIF4E signaling, using human DRG explants and inhibitors.

VLK drives extracellular phosphorylation of EphB2 to govern the EphB2-NMDAR interaction and injury-induced pain

This study identifies VLK as an extracellular kinase that mediates EphB2 phosphorylation and pain responses by regulating synaptic protein interactions.

Highly specific σ2R/TMEM97 ligand alleviates neuropathic pain and inhibits the integrated stress response

This paper identifies FEM-1689 as a σ2R/TMEM97 ligand that alleviates neuropathic pain by inhibiting the integrated stress response in mice and human sensory neurons.

MNK1 and MNK2 expression in the human dorsal root and trigeminal ganglion

The paper characterizes MNK1 and MNK2 mRNA expression in human dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia, showing their expression in neurons and other cell types, supporting translational potential for pain-targeting therapies.

NaV1.7 mRNA and protein expression in putative projection neurons of the human spinal dorsal horn

The paper reports the expression of NaV1.7 mRNA and protein in specific neurons of the human spinal dorsal horn and discusses its potential role in pain phenotypes and analgesic efficacy.

Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) expression in human nociceptor axons of the spinal dorsal horn-- Implications for RNA targeting and localized translation

The paper investigates FMRP expression in human nociceptor axons of the spinal dorsal horn, finding it colocalizes with pain-related markers and suggests a role in sex dimorphic chronic pain mechanisms.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Sensory Neurons in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Reveals Inflammation and Neuronal Loss

The paper identifies 844 differentially expressed genes in DRGs from DPN patients, showing increased inflammation and decreased neuronal genes, suggesting intraganglionic pathology in diabetic neuropathy.

Evaluation of calcium-sensitive adenylyl cyclase AC1 and AC8 mRNA expression in the anterior cingulate cortex of mice with neuropathic pain

The paper evaluates AC1 and AC8 mRNA expression in the ACC of mice with neuropathic pain and finds increased AC8 expression but no change in AC1.

RNA Profiling of Neuropathic Pain-Associated Human DRGs Reveal Sex-differences in Neuro-immune Interactions Promoting Pain

The paper profiles RNA in human DRGs from neuropathic pain patients, identifying sex-specific gene expression differences and neuro-immune pathways associated with pain.

Transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5) mediates inflammatory mechanical pain

This study identifies TRPC5 as a mediator of inflammatory mechanical pain using knockout mice and pharmacological inhibitors, showing its role in pain behaviors induced by lysophosphatidylcholine.

Convergence of peptidergic and non-peptidergic protein markers in the human dorsal root ganglion and spinal dorsal horn

The paper examines the protein expression and central projections of nociceptor markers in human dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord, finding overlapping expression of CGRP and P2X3R and distinct projection patterns compared to mice.