Molecular Pathway Transmits Itches, but Not Ouches

Along the signaling pathways connecting the skin and the brain, there are gatekeepers, neurotransmitters that relay signals, or not, depending on whether the signals are of the sort the brain interprets as itching sensations, or pain sensations. These gatekeepers, found recently by scientists based at North Carolina University, raise the possibility that drugs could be developed targeting itching, but not pain, or vice versa.A particular kind of neurotransmitter, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP),