This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching

This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now Menu All Topics Health Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology View All Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes View All Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment View All Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics View All Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology View All Magazine Menu All Stories Multimedia Reviews Puzzles Collections Educator Portal Century of Science Unsung characters Coronavirus Outbreak Newsletters Investors Lab About SN Explores Our Store SIGN IN Donate Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 SIGN IN Search Open search Close search Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 All Topics Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology Tech Computing Artificial Intelligence Chemistry Math Science & Society All Topics Health Humans Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Recent posts in Humans Health & Medicine This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching By Tina Hesman Saey3 hours ago Health & Medicine Meds like Ozempic could ease arthritis By Meghan RosenFebruary 20, 2026 Science & Society Project Hail Mary made us wonder how to survive a trip to interstellar space By Tina Hesman SaeyFebruary 20, 2026 Life Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Recent posts in Life Health & Medicine This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching By Tina Hesman Saey3 hours ago Paleontology A mouth built for efficiency may have helped the earliest bird fly By Jay BennettFebruary 19, 2026 Animals Some dog breeds carry a higher risk of breathing problems By Jake BuehlerFebruary 18, 2026 Earth Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment Recent posts in Earth Climate Halting irreversible changes to Antarctica depends on choices made today By Carolyn GramlingFebruary 20, 2026 Climate Snowball Earth might have had a dynamic climate and open seas By Michael MarshallFebruary 19, 2026 Oceans Evolution didn’t wait long after the dinosaurs died By Elie DolginFebruary 13, 2026 Physics Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics Recent posts in Physics Physics Physicists dream up ‘spacetime quasicrystals’ that could underpin the universe By Emily ConoverFebruary 17, 2026 Physics A precise proton measurement helps put a core theory of physics to the test By Emily ConoverFebruary 11, 2026 Physics The only U.S. particle collider shuts down – so a new one may rise By Emily ConoverFebruary 6, 2026 Space Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology Recent posts in Space Science & Society Project Hail Mary made us wonder how to survive a trip to interstellar space By Tina Hesman SaeyFebruary 20, 2026 Astronomy This inside-out planetary system has astronomers scratching their heads By Adam MannFebruary 12, 2026 Space Artemis II is returning humans to the moon with science riding shotgun By Lisa GrossmanFebruary 4, 2026 News Health & Medicine This itch-triggering protein also sends signals to stop scratching Mice lacking the TRPV4 protein scratch less frequently but can’t stop once they start A study in mice may have solved the molecular mystery of why scratching relieves an itch. kozorog/iStock/Getty Images Plus By Tina Hesman Saey 3 hours ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print People who can’t stop scratching itches may finally have a culprit to blame. In mice (and probably people), a protein called TRPV4 is involved both in starting an itch and stopping it after scratching, says neuroscientist Roberta Gualdani. She will present the finding February 24 at the annual meeting of the Biophysical Society in San Francisco. Among other places in the body, that protein is found in nerves involved in pain and itch. So Gualdani, of Université Catholique de Louvain in Brussels, and colleagues thought TRPV4 might be a pain sensor. Its role in itch was disputed. It turns out that the protein is also located in nerve cells that detect touch and other mechanical sensations, including scratching, the researchers discovered. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. Gualdani’s team genetically engineered mice to lack TRPV4 in certain nerve cells. Those mice reacted to pain just like mice that have intact protein.Then the team rubbed a vitamin D–like substance on the mice to mimic eczema, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects about 10 percent of people in the United States and leads to itchy, dry skin and rashes. Mice that make TRPV4 had many brief bouts of scratching. Mice that lack the protein in their nerves don’t scratch so often, suggesting that TRPV4 is involved in triggering itch. It’s not the only molecule involved so the mice did still get itchy sometimes. When mice without the protein do scratch they “have a very, very long episode of scratching before [they] stop. So this is a suggestion that they have lost the regulatory mechanism that caused the relief from scratching,” Gualdani says. The findings could be important for understanding chronic itching in people. Eventually, the knowledge may lead to treatments for eczema and other itchy skin conditions. But it’s a delicate balance, Gualdani says. Substances that turn off TRPV4 may make itching less frequent, but dialing back the protein’s activity too much could mean people would have a hard time stopping scratching once they start. Conversely, upping the protein’s activity may relieve stubborn itches, but could lead to even more frequent itching and scratching. Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at feedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ Citations C. Bourgy et al. TRPV4 channels expressed in trigeminal AB low-threshold mechanoreceptors modulate chronic itch. Biophysical Society annual meeting, San Francisco, February 24, 2026. About Tina Hesman Saey E-mail X Tina Hesman Saey is the senior staff writer and reports on molecular biology. She has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University. We are at a critical time and supporting climate journalism is more important than ever. 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