About Skin Itching & Microbiome

Learn what what bacteria is responsible for skin itching and what is the mechanism.

That skin itching is “getting on my nerves” gains a new, literal meaning these days.

Why?

New research on skin itching

A new research, performed by scientists at Harvard Medical School shows, for the first time, that a common skin bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus, can cause ich by acting directly on nerve cells.

Skin conditions like eczema and atopic dermatitis are often accompanied by persistent itch. In these conditions, the balance of microorganisms that keep skin healthy is often disturbed, allowing S. aureus to flourish. Up until now, the itch was believed to rise from the inflammation of the skin, but the new findings show that S. aureus releases a chemical which activates a protein on the nerves, transmitting signals from the skin to the brain.

What does it mean to the consumers that are already “bundles of nerves”?

The protein activated by S. aureus is involved in blood-clotting and an approved anticlotting drug that blocks PAR1 was tested and proven to work on mice. In the future it could be repurposed as an anti-itch medication or could become the basis for anti-itch topical creams.

Nothing will be able to “hit their nerve” anymore!

Publication link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37995657/

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