What’s behind the urge to scratch that itch? Harvard researchers have a theory
New research indicates that a common skin bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus, can make you feel itchy by directly acting on nerve cells.
That itchy feeling isn’t just in your head, in some cases it might actually be all over you. And it may literally get on your nerves. New research published Wednesday in Cell indicates that a common skin bacterium — Staphylococcus aureus — can make you feel itchy by directly acting on nerve cells.
Even though itchiness is an everyday sensation, its causes remain mysterious. “So we’ve revealed that one of the ways that this sensation happens is through a bacteria on our skin,” said Isaac Chiu, associate professor of immunology at Harvard Medical School and primary investigator on the paper. “And so maybe this is one way that we could target the itch in that disease.” This finding, he added, could one day inform the design of pills and skin creams that target bacteria, or its receptor on nerve cells, to stop the itch-scratch cycle.
What's Your Reaction?
