November 27, 2023 – Scientists have a promising latest theory about what causes the itching sensation, and their latest lab experiments suggest potentially effective treatments for individuals who have itchy skin on account of eczema or dermatitis.
In a study published this month by the journal cellResearchers reported that the skin of mice is directly exposed to the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus triggered the nervous system to send signals from the skin to the brain. Laboratory experiments with human cells were also carried out.
S. aureus is so common that about 30% of individuals carry the bacteria of their nose and they typically do no harm CDC says. But in individuals with skin conditions comparable to eczema or dermatitis, the balance of microorganisms that keep the skin healthy is disrupted, potentially making individuals with skin conditions more at risk of it S. aureusin line with a Summary of research published by Harvard Medical School. The latest findings push scientists and medical researchers away from the previously held theory that itching on account of eczema and dermatitis is on account of inflammation attributable to these diseases.
“We have identified a completely new mechanism behind itching – the bacteria Staph aureus, which occurs in almost every patient with the chronic disease neurodermatitis. We show that itching can be caused by the microbe itself,” said senior writer Isaac Chiu, PhD, an associate professor of immunobiology at Harvard, in an announcement.
The mice that were exposed to S. aureus They developed increasing itching for several days and an itch-scratch cycle ensued, eventually leading to break to the skin outside the itchy area. Researchers managed to dam the nervous system process that causes itching through the use of a drug that is often used to treat individuals with problems with blood clots. The results suggest that the drug may very well be used as an anti-itching agent.
The researchers want to research whether other microbes also live S. aureus may cause itching.