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IMAGE: Excess lipids produced by liver failure signal an itching sensation directly to the skin cells, through a receptor called TRPV4 and a microRNA. view more
Credit: Wolfgang Liedtke, Duke University
DURHAM, N.C. - A devastating itching of the skin driven by severe liver disease turns out to have a surprising cause. Its discovery points toward possible new therapies for itching, and shows that the outer layer of the skin is so much more than insulation.
The finding, which appears April 2 in
Gastroenterology, indicates that the keratinocyte cells of the skin surface are acting as what lead researcher Wolfgang Liedtke, MD PhD, calls pre-neurons.