Was it the ant or an allergic reaction? Do you ever wonder why your skin gets itchy? The creams and herbal remedies work, but what triggers this itchy sensation? Researchers have found that specific nerve cells are responsible for the itchiness. Although we have various treatments for eczema, infections, allergies and other chronic itching conditions they are only partially effective. With rapid advances in scientific knowledge a discovery for future treatments for skin conditions or management of chronic itching.
Why nerve cells? Researchers at Washington University and Peking Univeristy performed experiments on mice showing they have nerve cells that convey only an itch sensation. By killing their itch-specific neurons they created itch-free mice. This has contradicted the common idea that itch and pain are closely related. In 2007 they found an itch gene active in the spinal cord called gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). In an experiment, using a toxing that binds to GRPR and injecting it into the spinal cords of mice, it destroyed nerve cells that had active GRPR. However, instead of scratching when exposed to things that caused an itching reaction the mice felt pain. This discovery results in suggesting that there is an itch-specific neuronal pathway in the spinal cord. By treating various diseases, such as eczema, could consequences such as pain arise?
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Posted By:
Michelle Phan 42053127
