We wanted to assess whether aDRG NSCs have continued multipotentiality and the propensity for sensory differentiation as demonstrated in situ. Adult female Sprague-Dawley (Harlan Sprague-Dawley, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, age 77 days old, 200–250 g) were used for this experiment. Animals were kept in the Laboratory Animal Resource Center (LARC) at Indiana University under standard laboratory conditions with food and water ad libitum on a 12-h light/dark cycle. Animals used in these procedures were maintained in facilities fully accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis, IN) in accordance with the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the National Institutes of Health and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, Commission on Life Sciences, 1996).
