Itch

Lillian N Murphy; Ellen A Lumpkin; Diana M Bautista

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.021

Itch

Curr Biol. 2025 Jan 20;35(2):R51-R57. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.021.

Authors

Lillian N Murphy¹, Ellen A Lumpkin², Diana M Bautista³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
² Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
³ Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39837268
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.021

Abstract

A camping trip will quickly become unpleasant if a horde of mosquitoes descends while you pitch your tent, or you find yourself in a patch of poison oak. Whether due to an insect bite, a poisonous plant, or a chronic skin disease, everyone has experienced the urgent sensation of itch and the sweet relief of scratching. The itch-scratch cycle is so powerful that just reading about itch or seeing someone scratching elicits a strong desire to scratch. Itch is a unique sensation that is mediated by specialized neurons that innervate the skin. In this primer, we will discuss recent advancements that define the molecules and cells that mediate acute itch and that promote chronic itch associated with inflammatory diseases.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Pruritus* / physiopathology
Skin / innervation