Neuroscience

New approach to treating chronic itch

Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach to suppressing itch by targeting two receptors in the spinal cord with the right experimental drug. In a series of experiments in mice and dogs, they ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Potential new therapy relieves chronic itch

The roots of chronic itching have long remained a mystery. Meanwhile, those with the condition suffer from an unrelenting and sometimes debilitating urge to scratch. Now, new research at Washington University School of Medicine ...

Neuroscience

To scratch an itch is a hairy problem

An insect lands on your arm, moving the tiny hairs on your skin just enough to make you want to scratch. Salk Institute researchers have uncovered evidence of a dedicated neural pathway that transmits the itchy feeling triggered ...

Neuroscience

Serotonin receptor is involved in eczema and other itch conditions

Dermatologists have long known that available treatments for chronic itch, including eczema, are simply not up to scratch. But scientists have now discovered a new gene that promotes itch, suggesting a way forward for powerful ...

Medical research

Scientists unravel mechanisms in chronic itching

Anyone who has suffered through sleepless nights due to uncontrollable itching knows that not all itching is the same. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explains why.

Medical research

Blocking nerve cells could prevent symptoms of eczema

A new picture of how the nervous system interacts with the immune system to cause the itch and inflammation associated with eczema, a chronic skin disease, could lead to new therapies for the condition, according to University ...

Neuroscience

Molecular biomedical expert discusses the sensation of itch

Santosh Mishra is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences. He studies the neurological pathways involved in itch, in order to help us understand why and how we feel this sensation. He was ...

Medical research

New clues point to relief for chronic itching

A common side effect of opioids is intense itching—a problem for some patients who need the drugs for pain relief and for others fighting addiction.

Neuroscience

Scientists identify central neural circuit for itch sensation

Itching is an unpleasant sensation associated with the desire to scratch, and the itch sensation is an important protective mechanism for animals. However, chronic itch, often seen in patients with skin and liver diseases, ...

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