Scratching a Scientific Itch: Pitt Scientists Untangle the Mysterious Intricacies of Itchiness

Researchers from the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research identified a new group of nerve cells, or neurons that carry a protein called neurokinin-1 receptor, or NK1R, which appear to be selectively involved in causing itchiness, but not in detecting changes in temperature. This discovery may help understand the processing of different kinds of pain that are cold sensing. Read more.