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Insights into Itching
26 November 2015

Insights into Itching

The ghastly feeling of a bug crawling on your leg likely invokes an instant swoosh of the hand to knock the critter flying. It’s the insect’s disturbance of tiny hairs on the skin that signals the sensation – known as mechanical itch. But, how these signals are transmitted as well as suppressed – so that a person doesn’t scratch uncontrollably at the slightest sensation – was a bit of a mystery. Studies in mice have now revealed that signals arising from the skin’s sensory neurons (green) are kept in check by particular inhibitory interneurons (red). When the activity of these inhibitory cells was specifically blocked in mice, the animals started scratching compulsively. The animals’ responses to chemical irritants or pain, however, was unchanged suggesting the interneurons are specifically involved in regulating mechanical itch. This discovery could ultimately lead to ways to calm the incessant urge to scratch in patients with chronic itch.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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