Keratinocytes play an important role in the dialog between skin and cutaneous sensory
neurons. They are an essential source of cutaneous nerve growth factor (NGF), a
neurotrophin that contributes to persistent pain in inflammation and neuropathy. We studied
the interaction of human keratinocytes (hKTs) and regenerating afferent nerve fibers by
transplanting hKTs into a ligated and transected peripheral nerve. The hKTs self-assembled
into a multi-laminar spheroid cellular structure resembling the stratum spinosum of …