The receptor which causes the sensation of an itch that originates in one place then travels to the brain has been singled out by scientists at last. The most important feature of this finding is that those people who suffer from severe conditions of itching could now be treated for their condition.
A Neuro-transmitter is a small molecule that the scientists have been able to single out as the critical role player in the transmission of signals between nerve cells. This neuro-transmitter perceives the sensation of itching in human beings.
Mark Hoon is the lead scientist in the team studying the itch effect at the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Washington DC. He states that the finding shows removing the transmitter, which in medical jargon is termed natriuretic polypeptide b (Nppb), results in the itch to disappear. The study also shows that replacing the transmitter in the spinal cord results in recurrence of the itch.
Dr. Hoon states that the findings show that an itch is a specific sensation which has its own connection to the brain through the nervous system and uses the body’s biochemical setup as well. He further concludes that an itch, which in acute cases can make things extremely miserable for the sufferer, can now be treated with the better understanding of this biochemical and nervous system connection with the molecule.
Temporary itching conditions in patients occur due to scabies, sun burn and dry skin, while severe cases of itching could be the result of infections like eczema and psoriasis. Such severity of the itch has been reported where the patients have scratched till their skin has started to bleed or even till their bone has been exposed.
Santosh Mishra, a researcher working in the same team, reports that the team had carried out the study on many of the neurotransmitters that form the central nervous system. It was only the Nppb which they concluded was the one which transmitted the sensation of itching.
