To Itch or Not to Itch? It's in the Genes

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In the long term, the research results suggest a way to develop anti-itch medication that does not dull pain response. In fact, the researchers noted that there are already pharmaceuticals in the pipeline that could help ease itching.

"Scientists have been studying [the GRPR] receptor for more than a decade," Chen said. "One interesting thing they've found is that GRPR is implicated in tumor growth. As a result of research like this, a lot of substances have been made that block the activity of GRPR. So now, researchers can study the effect of these agents on the itch sensation and possibly move that research to clinical applications fairly soon."

More information

To learn more about itching and the conditions that cause it, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.