Overview
- Mice lacking TRPV4 only in sensory neurons scratched less frequently yet had much longer scratching bouts in an eczema-like model.
- Data indicate that TRPV4 activity in mechanosensory neurons generates a negative feedback signal that ends scratching.
- TRPV4 was identified in touch-sensitive Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors and in subsets of sensory neurons including TRPV1-expressing cells.
- The results suggest that broadly blocking TRPV4 could curb itch frequency but impair the stop-scratching signal, reinforcing the need for targeted approaches.
- The study used genetic deletion, calcium imaging, and behavioral assays in mice and was reported as preliminary conference research in San Francisco.