Talk
Using ioSensory Neurons to model pain in osteoarthritis
At the Human Cell Forum 2025, Dr Ryan Jones presented how human iPSC-derived ioSensory Neurons are being used to model the bone-nociceptor interface in osteoarthritis, filling a critical gap in in vitro systems for studying nociceptor-driven mechanisms in chronic pain.
At the Human Cell Forum 2025, Dr Ryan Jones presented how human iPSC-derived ioSensory Neurons are being used to model the bone-nociceptor interface in osteoarthritis, filling a critical gap in in vitro systems for studying nociceptor-driven mechanisms in chronic pain.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most significant contributors to chronic pain worldwide. OA pathology and associated pain stem from the complex interactions of joint loading, inflammation and immune responses, and alterations in nociceptor function. In OA, joint nociceptors develop spontaneous activity and increased excitability and responsiveness to stimulation. Physiologically silent nociceptors become activated during OA progression, increasing their responses to noxious, or even innocuous, stimuli in animal models. Despite extensive research, the molecular mechanisms governing mechanically induced pathology and pain in OA remain elusive. The differences in animal and human peripheral nerve populations and pain responses mean that there is a necessity for human tissue-derived models of OA pain. While human-derived in vitro models have been able to capture elements of tissue inflammation and degeneration in OA, currently, no in vitro models are able to capture changes in nociception. We aimed to develop a human-derived nociceptor model using human iPSC-derived ioSensory Neurons for the analysis of OA pain.