Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Scratching the Itch

Neutrophils – a type of white blood cell –  are implicated in eczema-related itching

02 January 2020

Scratching the Itch

We all know what it’s like to have an itch you can't scratch. But when that minor irritation builds over months or years, it can be debilitating. Chronic itch is often caused by eczema, and many common treatments are ineffective. Skin cells, nerves (marked in green and magenta in the mouse skin pictured), and cells from the immune system collaborate to create the unbearable sensation, and a new study has looked at how they rile each other up. It found that neutrophils – a type of white blood cell designed to heal tissue and resolve infections – trigger the itch. Removing neutrophils relieved mice with an eczema-like condition of their itch, and prevented other changes associated with eczema setting in. Drugs to counter neutrophils already exist for other conditions, so there’s a chance this discovery could lead to new treatments, and help soothe the itch once and for all.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.