Feeling itchy? Blame it on specific nerves
August 8th, 2009 - 1:52 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Aug 8 (IANS) Feeling itchy? Blame it on specific nerve cells or neurons, which scientists have now located after many decades of search.
Itchiness was earlier regarded as a less intense version of pain. But researchers now say itch and pain signals are transmitted along different pathways in the spinal cord.
“This finding has very important therapeutic implications,” says Zhou-Feng Chen of the Washington University School of Medicine-St. Louis (WUSM-SL), the study’s principal investigator.
“We’ve shown that particular neurons are critical for the itching sensation but not for pain, which means those cells may contain several itch-specific receptors or signalling molecules that can be explored or identified as targets for future treatment or management of chronic itching,” Chen said.
The new finding follows research by Chen and his team in 2007 that identified the first itch gene — gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) — in the spinal cord, said a WUSM-SL statement.
They also showed that when mice were exposed to things that make them itchy, those without a GRPR gene scratched less than their normal littermates.
These findings appeared in the August issue of Science Express, the advance online publication of Science.
- Pain and itch are rooted in different molecular mechanisms - Nov 18, 2008
- Some nerve cells that make us itch also make us feel pain, finds study - May 03, 2011
- Single shot relieves pain in spinal injuries - Dec 02, 2011
- Nerve cells that make us itch identified - Aug 07, 2009
- Scientists find extensive natural recovery after spinal cord injury - Nov 15, 2010
- Burning pain, itching linked to same nerve cells - Nov 05, 2010
- Genes that regenerate nerves after injury isolated - Sep 22, 2011
- How scratching curbs itching - Apr 06, 2009
- Scientists focus on human cells for spinal cord injury repair - Mar 03, 2011
- Gene therapy helps regenerate injured brain cells - Feb 16, 2012
- Love to scratch your back? Here's why - Jan 29, 2012
- Better treatment for spinal injuries could be on its way - Nov 23, 2010
- Scientists shed new light on walking after spinal cord injury - Jan 23, 2010
- New treatment could help minimize nerve damage in spinal cord injuries - May 04, 2011
- Single gene acts as 'master organizer' of motor neurons in spinal cord - Sep 09, 2010
Tags: feng chen, grpr gene, intense version, itchiness, molecules, nerve cells, nerves, neurons, pain signals, pathways, peptide receptor, principal investigator, receptors, school of medicine, science express, spinal cord, therapeutic implications, washington university school of medicine, washington university school of medicine st louis, zhou