What can trigger an itch? Scientists have found a new culprit

[sl8]

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/22/1214507233/what-can-trigger-an-itch-scientists-have-found-a-new-culprit

What can trigger an itch? Scientists have found a new culprit

NOVEMBER 22, 2023 11:09 AM ET
HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
Nell Greenfieldboyce

If you've got itchy skin, it could be that a microbe making its home on your body has produced a little chemical that's directly acting on your skin's nerve cells and triggering the urge to scratch.

That's the implication of some new research that shows how a certain bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, can release an enzyme that generates an itchy feeling.

What's more, a drug that interferes with this effect can stop the itch in laboratory mice, according to a new report in the journal Cell.

"That's exciting because it's a drug that's already approved for another condition, but maybe it could be useful for treating itchy skin diseases like eczema," says Isaac Chiu, a scientist at Harvard Medical School who studies interactions between microbes and nerve cells.

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[LymphocyteLover]

1. makes sense-- hidden microbes often lay underneath various human pathologies

[Trueblue Texan]

2. That's good to know and perfectly believeable to me because...

…I’ve been treating my eczema with homemade kefir for several years now. It’s the only thing that cools those itchy patches…but come to think of it, since I started using kefir, I have not had any eczema breakouts. The last time I had it, my eyelids were inflamed and itchy. I finally put a little bowl of kefir on my bathroom countertop and put it on my eyelids after showering each evening. It was clear within 36 hours. Of course, it’s made of bacteria.

I also drink it sometimes, but not often. I keep a culture alive in my refrigerator even if I don’t use it that much anymore. I have had awful bouts with eczema over the years, but kefir has been an effective treatment.

[sl8]

3. Very interesting, thanks. nt

[hlthe2b]

4. Not surprising findings. I guess this info is making the rounds of eczema groups

as I had a neighbor long afflicted asking if V8 juice was the same as "protease V8" (identified as a potential blocker in the study)...LOL

Nope, sorry. V8 might offer good nutritional benefits, but not the same.

[Warpy]

5. Makes sense, S. aureus can't enter through intact skin

to chow down and replicate. Causing an itch provokes a scratch and that can provide an open barn door for the bacillus to travel through.