An experimental treatment utilizes specialized neurons derived from stem cells, aiming to "absorb" pain and inflammation stimuli in arthritic knees of mice.
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The lab experiment suggests that the treatment could potentially help people with chronic pain, such as that caused by osteoarthritis. According to the researchers, the so-called “pain sponge” may allow patients to reduce or even stop using opioid painkillers.
As an added benefit, the genetically modified neurons also appeared to enhance bone and cartilage repair in mice. The findings were published in a preprint on the bioRxiv in December 2025 and have not yet undergone peer review.
The treatment, known as SN101, is based on human pluripotent stem cells, which can differentiate into any type of cell. In the study, led by neurology professor Gabsang Lee of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the cells were modified to develop into specialized sensory neurons.
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These neurons essentially acted as a “sponge” for inflammatory pain signals, binding them before they reached the brain. Theoretically, the approach could be applied to various forms of chronic pain, although so far it has only been tested in osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
The new neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells are injected directly into the site of inflammation and coexist with the existing pain-sensing neurons, without replacing them. They act as biological “bait,” binding inflammatory factors in the area before they activate the body’s natural neurons.
According to Liu, using biologically complex cells that naturally express multiple pain receptors allows the SN101 treatment to more closely mimic how pain and inflammation manifest in living tissues. This could help to neutralize pain at its source.
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Before the treatment can be tested in humans, it will have to go through significant evaluation stages, including formal toxicology studies, long-term safety assessments and the first human clinical trials. However, he called the basic idea of the treatment “innovative.”.
