Chronic itching is a common problem for people living with skin conditions such as eczema.
Current treatments often work best for itching caused by factors such as insect bites or exposure to irritating substances, but they are generally less effective against persistent, long-term itching.
To better understand how this type of itching develops, researchers at the University of Michigan investigated the underlying mechanisms, according to ScienceDaily.
Experiments provide new clues
The new study, published in the journal Neuron, involved experiments on mice with skin inflammation resembling eczema in humans.
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The researchers found that the mice scratched themselves significantly less when specific nerve cells were removed or deactivated.
They also found evidence suggesting that humans may have the same biological system.
Humans possess the genes required to produce these specialized nerve cells, and nerve cells grown in a laboratory responded in the same way as those found in the mice.
According to the University of Michigan, these findings suggest that the same mechanism may also exist in humans.
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Tiny hairs may explain the itch
Very fine, light-colored hairs, known as vellus hairs, appear to be connected to specialized nerve cells that detect touch and may trigger itching.
If humans share this same system, it could become a new target for future treatments for chronic itching.
This could be particularly important for people with skin conditions whose symptoms are not adequately relieved by current treatments.
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