Kate Sadler
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
pain + the microbiome + sickle cell disease • assistant professor of neuroscience • yinzer • www.sadlerlab.com
Pinned
Kate Sadler
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
· Sep 16
Gut microbiota and metabolites drive chronic sickle cell disease pain in mice
Brandow et al. describe how the gut microbiome drives chronic sickle cell disease
(SCD) pain. SCD guts contain excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria that metabolize
bilirubin, and low levels of A...
www.cell.com
1st paper from Sadler Lab is out!! Highlights: 1) A. muciniphila reverses sickle cell (SCD) pain, 2) fecal transplant from SCD mice induces pain via bilirubin-TRPM2 vagal signaling, 3) BilR+ bacteria less abundant in SCD patient poo, 4) RNAseq on HUMAN nodose ganglia! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Thrilled to share our latest preprint using single nuq sequencing and Xenium to define neuron organisation and sex differences in glia within human spinal cord. Truly a collaborative effort, with a big shoutout to Katherin Gabriel and @tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A molecular map of the human spinal dorsal and ventral horn defines arrangement of neuronal types and glial sex differences
The spinal cord is the gateway for sensory information from the body as it ascends to the brain, as well as a major motor output center of the nervous system. It is also a key location for sensory-mot...
www.biorxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Thrilled to share our latest preprint using single nuq sequencing and Xenium to define neuron organisation and sex differences in glia within human spinal cord. Truly a collaborative effort, with a big shoutout to Katherin Gabriel and @tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
New research identifies a specific bacterial protease, Bfp1 from Bacteroides fragilis, that cleaves & activates host PAR2. This causes intestinal barrier disruption, sensitizes pain neurons, and triggers inflammation, leading to abdominal pain in IBD/IBS models. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A Bacteroides fragilis protease activates host PAR2 to induce intestinal pain and inflammation
Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a central regulator of intestinal barrier function, inflammation, and pain. Upregulated intestinal proteolysis…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
New research identifies a specific bacterial protease, Bfp1 from Bacteroides fragilis, that cleaves & activates host PAR2. This causes intestinal barrier disruption, sensitizes pain neurons, and triggers inflammation, leading to abdominal pain in IBD/IBS models. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We made the cover!!
Our October issue is live—rooted in strong microbiology and growing insights.
With cover art highlighting the gut-brain axis and work from @katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
With cover art highlighting the gut-brain axis and work from @katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
October 8, 2025 at 3:59 PM
We made the cover!!
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Microbiota drives sickle cell disease pain
Sickle cell disease mice have excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria metabolizing bilirubin & low A. muciniphila. A. muciniphila or TRPM2 inhibitors (blocking bilirubin signals) reduce SCD pain
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Sickle cell disease mice have excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria metabolizing bilirubin & low A. muciniphila. A. muciniphila or TRPM2 inhibitors (blocking bilirubin signals) reduce SCD pain
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Gut microbiota and metabolites drive chronic sickle cell disease pain in mice
Brandow et al. describe how the gut microbiome drives chronic sickle cell disease
(SCD) pain. SCD guts contain excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria that metabolize
bilirubin, and low levels of A...
www.cell.com
September 17, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Microbiota drives sickle cell disease pain
Sickle cell disease mice have excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria metabolizing bilirubin & low A. muciniphila. A. muciniphila or TRPM2 inhibitors (blocking bilirubin signals) reduce SCD pain
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Sickle cell disease mice have excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria metabolizing bilirubin & low A. muciniphila. A. muciniphila or TRPM2 inhibitors (blocking bilirubin signals) reduce SCD pain
@katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
1st paper from Sadler Lab is out!! Highlights: 1) A. muciniphila reverses sickle cell (SCD) pain, 2) fecal transplant from SCD mice induces pain via bilirubin-TRPM2 vagal signaling, 3) BilR+ bacteria less abundant in SCD patient poo, 4) RNAseq on HUMAN nodose ganglia! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Gut microbiota and metabolites drive chronic sickle cell disease pain in mice
Brandow et al. describe how the gut microbiome drives chronic sickle cell disease
(SCD) pain. SCD guts contain excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria that metabolize
bilirubin, and low levels of A...
www.cell.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM
1st paper from Sadler Lab is out!! Highlights: 1) A. muciniphila reverses sickle cell (SCD) pain, 2) fecal transplant from SCD mice induces pain via bilirubin-TRPM2 vagal signaling, 3) BilR+ bacteria less abundant in SCD patient poo, 4) RNAseq on HUMAN nodose ganglia! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
short and sweet new preprint from the lab showing that the vaginal microbiome is a key driver of endometriosis pain! 🦠🩸
more details coming soon but very excited to be working on this criminally understudied chronic pain condition.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
more details coming soon but very excited to be working on this criminally understudied chronic pain condition.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The vaginal microbiome drives endometriosis pain
Despite being one of two cardinal disease symptoms, endometriosis pain is poorly understood. Using a validated mouse model, we demonstrate that endometriosis-associated vaginal dysbiosis is sufficient...
www.biorxiv.org
August 22, 2025 at 1:14 PM
short and sweet new preprint from the lab showing that the vaginal microbiome is a key driver of endometriosis pain! 🦠🩸
more details coming soon but very excited to be working on this criminally understudied chronic pain condition.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
more details coming soon but very excited to be working on this criminally understudied chronic pain condition.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
This work is finally online as in-press preview!
JCI - Cell and molecular profiles in peripheral nerves shift toward inflammatory phenotypes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy www.jci.org/articles/vie...
JCI - Cell and molecular profiles in peripheral nerves shift toward inflammatory phenotypes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy www.jci.org/articles/vie...
JCI -
Cell and molecular profiles in peripheral nerves shift toward inflammatory phenotypes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy
www.jci.org
August 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM
This work is finally online as in-press preview!
JCI - Cell and molecular profiles in peripheral nerves shift toward inflammatory phenotypes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy www.jci.org/articles/vie...
JCI - Cell and molecular profiles in peripheral nerves shift toward inflammatory phenotypes in diabetic peripheral neuropathy www.jci.org/articles/vie...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Our paper showing decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal cord in people who died with a history of neuropathic pain is now published in PAIN: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac... Great work from @oliviadavis.bsky.social and the teams of the De Koninck and Hildebrand labs. ❤️ 🇨🇦 collabs!
Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn... : PAIN
date there is no evidence supporting or opposing this hypothesis in humans. Here, we demonstrate that KCC2 expression is decreased in superficial dorsal horn neurons of organ donors who died with a do...
journals.lww.com
July 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Our paper showing decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal cord in people who died with a history of neuropathic pain is now published in PAIN: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac... Great work from @oliviadavis.bsky.social and the teams of the De Koninck and Hildebrand labs. ❤️ 🇨🇦 collabs!
spending less time on here these days, but if you want more sadler lab updates, check out our new lab instagram (www.instagram.com/sadler_lab ; trying to reach more non-scientists!) and our fancy new website (www.sadlerlab.com).
July 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
spending less time on here these days, but if you want more sadler lab updates, check out our new lab instagram (www.instagram.com/sadler_lab ; trying to reach more non-scientists!) and our fancy new website (www.sadlerlab.com).
Sickle cell pain pre-meeting for USASP was cancelled.
Friendly reminder to call your representatives and tell them how important federal funding is for the study of ALL diseases — not just the diseases that affect them + people who look like them.
Friendly reminder to call your representatives and tell them how important federal funding is for the study of ALL diseases — not just the diseases that affect them + people who look like them.
February 12, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Sickle cell pain pre-meeting for USASP was cancelled.
Friendly reminder to call your representatives and tell them how important federal funding is for the study of ALL diseases — not just the diseases that affect them + people who look like them.
Friendly reminder to call your representatives and tell them how important federal funding is for the study of ALL diseases — not just the diseases that affect them + people who look like them.
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Delighted to highlight new work by Kelly Jameson and colleagues showing that select microbial metabolites in the small intestinal lumen regulate vagal activity
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Select microbial metabolites in the small intestinal lumen regulates vagal activity via receptor-mediated signaling
Neuroscience; Microbiome
www.cell.com
January 29, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Delighted to highlight new work by Kelly Jameson and colleagues showing that select microbial metabolites in the small intestinal lumen regulate vagal activity
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
check it out! our lab's first review paper is officially in print and was selected as an editor's choice at Pain! fun summary video in this link in case you don't feel like reading🦠💩🐁: journals.lww.com/pain/fulltex...
Microbiome contributions to pain: a review of the... : PAIN
oorganisms and the neuroimmune networks that drive pain in such diseases. More recently, microbiomes both inside and across the surface of the body have been recognized for driving sensory symptoms in...
journals.lww.com
January 24, 2025 at 2:53 PM
check it out! our lab's first review paper is officially in print and was selected as an editor's choice at Pain! fun summary video in this link in case you don't feel like reading🦠💩🐁: journals.lww.com/pain/fulltex...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Very excited to share our new preprint: "Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn associated with chronic pain and long-term opioid use" led by @oliviadavis.bsky.social and Samuel Ferland, a collab between us, Yves De Koninck and Mike Hildebrand labs www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn associated with chronic pain and long-term opioid use
Loss of GABAergic and glycinergic inhibitory efficacy in the spinal dorsal horn is associated with neuropathic pain and opioid-induced hyperalgesia in rodent models. Downregulation of the KCC2 chlorid...
www.biorxiv.org
January 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Very excited to share our new preprint: "Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn associated with chronic pain and long-term opioid use" led by @oliviadavis.bsky.social and Samuel Ferland, a collab between us, Yves De Koninck and Mike Hildebrand labs www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
1/ 🧠 Excited to share our new preprint:
Convergent state-control of endogenous opioid analgesia
We uncover how cognitive + contextual factors—like injury, fear, and placebo—modulate pain through dynamic opioid signaling in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Convergent state-control of endogenous opioid analgesia
We uncover how cognitive + contextual factors—like injury, fear, and placebo—modulate pain through dynamic opioid signaling in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
January 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
1/ 🧠 Excited to share our new preprint:
Convergent state-control of endogenous opioid analgesia
We uncover how cognitive + contextual factors—like injury, fear, and placebo—modulate pain through dynamic opioid signaling in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Convergent state-control of endogenous opioid analgesia
We uncover how cognitive + contextual factors—like injury, fear, and placebo—modulate pain through dynamic opioid signaling in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Official Sadler Lab 2024 Holiday CHEESE Party pic
December 12, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Official Sadler Lab 2024 Holiday CHEESE Party pic
epithelial cells are REALLY COOL, EVERYBODY! thrilled to see @amikesell.bsky.social 's dissertation work published in Science Translational Medicine today!
Here is a cool example of just how sensitive these skin cells are to touch using GCaMP calcium imaging in a living mouse!
December 11, 2024 at 9:52 PM
epithelial cells are REALLY COOL, EVERYBODY! thrilled to see @amikesell.bsky.social 's dissertation work published in Science Translational Medicine today!
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Excited to share my dissertation work from the Stucky Lab! We found that keratinocytes drive touch pain caused by the chemo drug paclitaxel. Paclitaxel directly sensitizes keratinocytes to touch through PIEZO1! #PainResearch #touch @katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
December 11, 2024 at 9:23 PM
Excited to share my dissertation work from the Stucky Lab! We found that keratinocytes drive touch pain caused by the chemo drug paclitaxel. Paclitaxel directly sensitizes keratinocytes to touch through PIEZO1! #PainResearch #touch @katesadlerphd.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Kate Sadler
I started (at @katesadlerphd.bsky.social's suggestion, thanks Kate for pushing me) a pain neuroscience and pain research starter pack. I am sure I have missed many people so if I missed you, I am sorry, but please just ask me to add you in the thread below and I will do that. go.bsky.app/KboKNhg
November 18, 2024 at 4:58 PM
I started (at @katesadlerphd.bsky.social's suggestion, thanks Kate for pushing me) a pain neuroscience and pain research starter pack. I am sure I have missed many people so if I missed you, I am sorry, but please just ask me to add you in the thread below and I will do that. go.bsky.app/KboKNhg
Reposted by Kate Sadler
I've joined the 🦋 migration! Here's a pain and somatosensory researchers starter pack. Comment or message me to be added #neuroscience #neuroskyence #pain 🧠 🔬 go.bsky.app/N3EmVKA
November 15, 2024 at 3:23 AM
I've joined the 🦋 migration! Here's a pain and somatosensory researchers starter pack. Comment or message me to be added #neuroscience #neuroskyence #pain 🧠 🔬 go.bsky.app/N3EmVKA
Reposted by Kate Sadler
Two BOOM!s in one day: www.nature.com/articles/s41... This flies totally in the face of what I think I know about visceral pain, but when evidence challenges your preconceived notions, maybe it is time to consider changing my gastric pain view.
A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing - Nature Communications
Gastric pain has limited treatment options and the nociceptive ascending pathway remains largely unclear. Here, the authors identify a glutamatergic tetra-synaptic NTS–LPB–PVT–PL circuit that provides...
www.nature.com
November 14, 2024 at 2:54 PM
Two BOOM!s in one day: www.nature.com/articles/s41... This flies totally in the face of what I think I know about visceral pain, but when evidence challenges your preconceived notions, maybe it is time to consider changing my gastric pain view.
heyo! here's an out of date lab photo and some goodies to make this page look way less blank!
fun review we wrote: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac...
preprint that shortens my life by 24 hr each day that it remains unpublished: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
fun review we wrote: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac...
preprint that shortens my life by 24 hr each day that it remains unpublished: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
November 12, 2024 at 1:54 PM
heyo! here's an out of date lab photo and some goodies to make this page look way less blank!
fun review we wrote: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac...
preprint that shortens my life by 24 hr each day that it remains unpublished: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
fun review we wrote: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac...
preprint that shortens my life by 24 hr each day that it remains unpublished: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...