Tsuda Makoto
Department of Life Innovation, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Neurosci Res. 2018 Jan;126:9-14. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.08.010. Epub 2017 Sep 1.
Chronic itch is a hallmark symptom of inflammatory skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis. Existing treatment for chronic itch is largely ineffective. Despite recent progress in our understanding of the neuronal basis for itch sensation in the peripheral and central nervous systems, the mechanisms underlying how itch turns into a pathological chronic state remain poorly understood. Recent studies have uncovered the causal role of astrocytes in the spinal dorsal horn using mouse models of chronic itch, including atopic dermatitis. Understanding the key roles of astrocytes may provide us with exciting insights into the mechanisms for the chronicity of itch sensation and clues to develop novel therapeutic agents for treating chronic itch.
慢性瘙痒是炎症性皮肤病（如特应性皮炎）的标志性症状。现有的慢性瘙痒治疗方法大多无效。尽管我们最近在理解外周和中枢神经系统中瘙痒感觉的神经元基础方面取得了进展，但瘙痒如何转变为病理性慢性状态的潜在机制仍知之甚少。最近的研究利用慢性瘙痒（包括特应性皮炎）的小鼠模型，揭示了星形胶质细胞在脊髓背角中的因果作用。了解星形胶质细胞的关键作用可能会为我们提供有关瘙痒感觉慢性化机制的令人兴奋的见解，并为开发治疗慢性瘙痒的新型治疗药物提供线索。
