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posted by Fnord666 on Friday May 18 2018, @06:45PM   Printer-friendly
from the research-that-just-scratches-the-surface dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

For some people, particularly those who are elderly, even a light touch of the skin or contact with clothing can lead to unbearable itching. What's worse, anti-itch treatments, including hydrocortisone, don't provide much relief for this type of itching.

Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis have discovered, in mice, why a touch can cause such severe itching and, in the process, identified some possible therapeutic targets.

Their research, published May 4 in the journal Science, indicates that itching caused by touch is directly related to the number of touch receptors embedded in the skin. The fewer the receptors, the more likely it is that touching will induce itching.

Source: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/when-light-touches-of-the-skin-cause-itching/

Jing Feng, Jialie Luo, Pu Yang, Junhui Du, Brian S. Kim, Hongzhen Hu. Piezo2 channel–Merkel cell signaling modulates the conversion of touch to itch. Science, 2018; 360 (6388): 530 DOI: 10.1126/science.aar5703


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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 18 2018, @07:48PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 18 2018, @07:48PM (#681346)

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    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   -1  
       Troll=1, Total=1
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    Total Score:   -1  
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