The peripheral and central mechanisms underlying itch

Itch is one of the most distressing sensations that substantially impair quality of life. It is a cardinal symptom of many skin diseases and is also caused by a variety of systemic disorders. Unfortunately, currently available itch medications are ineffective in many chronic itch conditions, and the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMB reports 2016, 49(9), , pp.474-487
Main Authors: Lee, Jae Seung, Han, Jasmin Sanghyun, Lee, Kyeongho, Bang, Juwon, Lee, Hyosang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Invited Mini Review
화학
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Itch is one of the most distressing sensations that substantially impair quality of life. It is a cardinal symptom of many skin diseases and is also caused by a variety of systemic disorders. Unfortunately, currently available itch medications are ineffective in many chronic itch conditions, and they often cause undesirable side effects. To develop novel therapeutic strategies, it is essential to identify primary afferent neurons that selectively respond to itch mediators as well as the central nervous system components that process the sensation of itch and initiate behavioral responses. This review summarizes recent progress in the study of itch, focusing on itch-selective receptors, signaling molecules, neuronal pathways from the primary sensory neurons to the brain, and potential decoding mechanisms based on which itch is distinguished from pain. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(9): 474-487]
ISSN:1976-6696
1976-670X
DOI:10.5483/BMBRep.2016.49.9.108