Elucidating the mechanisms underlying human pain sensation requires the establishment of an in vitro model of pain reception comprising human cells expressing pain-sensing receptors and function properly as neurons. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are mesenchymal stem cells and a promising candidate for producing human neuronal cells, however, the functional properties of differentiated hDPSCs have not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we demonstrated neuronal differentiation of hDPSCs via both their expression of neuronal marker proteins and their neuronal function examined using Ca2+ imaging. Moreover, to confirm the ability of nociception, Ca2+ responses in differentiated hDPSCs were compared to those of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Those cells showed similar responses to glutamate, ATP and agonists of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Since TRP channels are implicated in nociception, differentiated hDPSCs provide a useful in vitro model of human peripheral neuron response to stimuli interpreted as pain.

中文翻译：

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分化的人牙髓干细胞 (hDPSC) 的外周神经元样特性。

阐明人类痛觉的潜在机制需要建立一个体外疼痛接收模型，该模型包括表达痛觉受体并正常发挥神经元功能的人类细胞。人牙髓干细胞 (hDPSCs) 是间充质干细胞，是产生人神经元细胞的有希望的候选者，但是，分化的 hDPSCs 的功能特性尚未完全表征。在这项研究中，我们通过神经元标记蛋白的表达和使用 Ca2+ 成像检查的神经元功能证明了 hDPSCs 的神经元分化。此外，为了证实伤害感受的能力，将分化的 hDPSC 中的 Ca2+ 反应与大鼠背根神经节 (DRG) 神经元的反应进行了比较。这些细胞对谷氨酸表现出类似的反应，ATP 和瞬时受体电位 (TRP) 通道激动剂。由于 TRP 通道与伤害感受有关，分化的 hDPSCs 提供了一种有用的体外模型，说明人类周围神经元对解释为疼痛的刺激的反应。