Neuropharmacology and physiology of human dorsal root ganglion neurons responsible for nociception: state-of-the-art and future directions

Over the past 50 years, we have gone from the discovery of nociceptors in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) to an appreciation of the contribution of individual cell types to specific nociceptive behaviors in mice and to characterization of the molecular composition of DRG neurons in mice and humans. We appraise what we know about nociceptors in humans, with a focus on what features of their physiology and pharmacology are important for acute and chronic pain. We then discuss what advances are on the horizon and how targeting these cells with therapeutics can revolutionize the way that pain is treated.