Scripps Research scientists identify sensor underlying mechanical itch Finding could lead to better drug treatments for chronic itch conditions, like eczema
June 22, 2022
LA JOLLA, CA Scientists at Scripps Research have identified a protein in sensory nerves that works as a key detector of itch specifically the mechanical itch stimulus of crawling insects, wool fibers, or other irritating objects that touch the skin.
The discovery, published June 22, 2022, in Nature, is the first identification of a sensor for mechanical itch rather than chemically-triggered itch. It could lead to better treatments for itch conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
These findings help us untangle the complexity of itch sensation, and suggest that PIEZO1 inhibitors could be very useful clinically, says study senior author Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
Itch is a distinct sensation with its own nerve circuitry and evolutionary purpose likely to alert organisms to potentially harmful chemicals, insects and parasites. Researchers over the past decade or so have identified itch-specific subsets of spinal neurons that extend nerve fibers into the skin and are sensitive to chemical triggers of itch such as the allergy mediator histamine. But so far, relatively little has been discovered about the circuitry of mechanical itch.
PIEZO1's role in mechanical itch was unexpected. Patapoutian won a share of last year's Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for his lab's pioneering research on PIEZO1 and its sister-protein PIEZO2. These unique, propeller-shaped mechanosensor ion channels are embedded in the outer membranes of many cell types. They become activated when mechanically distorted, opening their ion channels and triggering various downstream events. Since 2010, Patapoutian and colleagues have shown that PIEZO2 is a key mechanosensor for light touch, the feeling of the positioning of the body and limbs, and the urge to urinate all via nerves in various tissues and organs. By contrast, the researchers have found that PIEZO1 has a variety of non-sensory roles throughout the body, for example in blood vessels and red blood cells.
While their initial studies suggested that PIEZO1 was not expressed in sensory neurons, other recent investigations have suggested that it is expressed at low levels in some subsets of these neurons. In the new study, Patapoutian and his team, including study first author Rose Hill, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, followed up on this surprising lead.
In experiments in mice, they confirmed that PIEZO1 is expressed, and appears to be a functional, mechanical pressure-sensitive ion channel protein in two different types of sensory neuron that were already implicated in chemical itch. Mice with an overactive form of PIEZO1 were markedly more sensitive to itch sensations. By contrast, mice lacking PIEZO1 in their sensory neurons scratched themselves far less when stimulated on the skin with filaments that normally would trigger strong itch sensations. The researchers also showed that a PIEZO1-blocking compound alleviates scratching behaviors in mice with the equivalent of eczema.
We did see a dramatic effect on itch with this compound, and though it wasn't specific enough against PIEZO1 to develop into a drug, we hope eventually to develop a much more PIEZO1-specific compound for treating itch conditions, Hill says.
Curiously, the absence or enhancement of PIEZO1 activity in mice caused at least a small reduction or increase of scratching due to chemical itch triggers such as histamine implying that mechanical and chemical itch signals are indeed transmitted in some cases by the same sensory neurons.
The researchers are now investigating whether variants of the PIEZO1 gene in the human population are related to itch sensitivity. The Patapoutian lab published a paper in 2018 showing that a mildly overactive form of PIEZO1, which also has the effect of making red blood cells relatively resistant to malaria parasites, is present in about a third of people of African ancestry.
PIEZO1 transduces mechanical itch in mice was co-authored by Rose Hill, Meaghan Loud, Adrienne Dubin, Brooke Peet, and Ardem Patapoutian.
Funding was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health (R35 NS105067), and the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation.
Neurological Disorders Patapoutian, Ardem
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
29/05/2026
Experimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capabl...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
Scripps Research scientists identify sensor underlying mechanical itch Finding could lead to better drug treatments for chronic itch conditions, like eczema 
