A spinal neural circuitry for converting touch to itch sensation

Sihan Chen; Xiao-Fei Gao; Yuxi Zhou; Ben-Long Liu; Xian-Yu Liu; Yufen Zhang; Devin M. Barry; Kun Liu; Yingfu Jiao; Rita Bardoni; Weifeng Yu; Zhou-Feng Chen

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18895-7

Nature Communications (Oct 2020)

A spinal neural circuitry for converting touch to itch sensation

Sihan Chen,
Xiao-Fei Gao,
Yuxi Zhou,
Ben-Long Liu,
Xian-Yu Liu,
Yufen Zhang,
Devin M. Barry,
Kun Liu,
Yingfu Jiao,
Rita Bardoni,
Weifeng Yu,
Zhou-Feng Chen

Affiliations

Sihan Chen: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Xiao-Fei Gao: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Yuxi Zhou: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Ben-Long Liu: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Xian-Yu Liu: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Yufen Zhang: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Devin M. Barry: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Kun Liu: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine
Yingfu Jiao: Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Rita Bardoni: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Weifeng Yu: Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Zhou-Feng Chen: Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18895-7
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Light touch can sometimes induce unpleasant itch sensation but the neural correlates of this conversion are not well studied. Here, the authors provide evidence that Tac2 expressing spinal interneurons are connected to gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) neurons and form an integral part of the neural circuit underlying touch evoked itch.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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