Cytokine modulation of atopic itch

AM Trier, BS Kim - Current opinion in immunology, 2018 - Elsevier
Current opinion in immunology, 2018Elsevier
Highlights•Chronic itch is a defining feature of atopic dermatitis (AD).•New studies reveal
how cytokines can directly modulate sensory neurons to influence atopic itch.•Disrupting
neuronal cytokine responses may explain successes in new AD therapies.Atopic dermatitis
(AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by two primary features: relapsing skin
lesions and chronic itch. Major advances in our understanding of type 2 immunity have led
to new insights into the critical factors that promote the development and persistence of AD …
Highlights
  • Chronic itch is a defining feature of atopic dermatitis (AD).
  • New studies reveal how cytokines can directly modulate sensory neurons to influence atopic itch.
  • Disrupting neuronal cytokine responses may explain successes in new AD therapies.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by two primary features: relapsing skin lesions and chronic itch. Major advances in our understanding of type 2 immunity have led to new insights into the critical factors that promote the development and persistence of AD-associated skin inflammation. Although inflammation is strongly associated with the development of atopic itch, the precise mechanisms by which itch arises in AD are poorly understood. In this review, we highlight recent studies that have started to unveil how various proinflammatory factors released within the skin can elicit sensations of itch and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting these neuroimmunologic processes.
Elsevier