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Neuroscientists Find ‘Gatekeeper’ in Itching Sensations Plays No Role in Pain Transmission

Santosh Mishra

Elsa the brown tabby cat

Mar 31, 2026

Researchers Identify Potential Disease Marker, Therapeutic Target for Cats with Osteoarthritis

By comparing osteoarthritis pain pathways known to be active in dogs and humans to those in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD), researchers found that elevation of a particular molecule, artemin, could serve as a marker of disease (and possibly pain) as well as a potential therapeutic target. The findings offer the most comprehensive evidence…
Graphic of human body with organ icons

Jul 16, 2024

The Human Connection

At the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, we conduct research that leads to healing across the animal-human bond. ‘Bench to bedside’ takes a unique form on our campus, where advancements bridging veterinary research and human health care can span ‘barn to bedside’ or ‘farm to table.’

Two graduates lean into each other, hands clasped, at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine's 2024 graduation.

May 3, 2024

‘It’s the People Who Make It’ for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 2024

Despite their programs’ socially distant beginnings, members of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 2024 formed enduring bonds with the people and places that make this campus home.

Jul 29, 2021

Study: Gene Associated with Autism Linked to Itch Response

A gene associated with autism spectrum disorder and pain hypersensitivity may actually decrease itch response.

Oct 10, 2019

A Breakthrough in Understanding Canine Itch

A new study from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is the first to pinpoint the intricate pathway mechanisms of itch in dogs, information vital to developing targeted treatments for common and chronic canine skin disorders. The research describes the expression of itch-signaling somatostatin and other major itch-associated neuropeptides and receptors in canine neurons.…
NC state gateway

Sep 27, 2019

Inflammation Amps Up Neurite Growth, Gene Expression Involved in Heat, Cold Sensitivity

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that inflammation increases neuronal activity, gene expression and sensory nerve (neurite) outgrowth in neurons involved in thermal – but not physical– sensations in mice. The work sheds light on the role that inflammation-induced overexpression of calcium channel genes may play in pain hypersensitivity. Inflammation can often cause…
illustration of neuropeptide

Jun 13, 2018

Flipping the Switch on Itch: Researchers Identify Neuropeptide Involved in Transmitting Itch Signal to Brain in Eczema

Researchers from North Carolina State University have pinpointed a particular neuropeptide associated with transmitting itch signals in mice with atopic dermatitis. The work sheds further light on the pathways involved in transmitting itch sensations from the peripheral (skin) to the central (spinal cord) nervous system. “You can think of itch being transmitted from the skin…

Apr 26, 2018

Scratching the Surface of Itch

Santosh Mishra is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences. He studies the neurological pathways involved in itch, in order to help us understand why and how we feel this sensation. He was recently involved in an international research collaboration aimed at identifying the process by which itch sensations are transmitted to the brain.…
gray cat on lab table

Apr 5, 2018

NC State CVM Awarded 3 Winn Feline Foundation Research Grants

The CVM took home three of the 14 grants awarded...
close up of pain and itch sensory neurons

Oct 3, 2017

Neuroscientists Find ‘Gatekeeper’ in Itching Sensations Plays No Role in Pain Transmission

A study from North Carolina State University researchers shows that a neurotransmitter involved in relaying itching sensations from the skin to the spinal cord and into the brain plays no role in pain transmission. “For us, it’s very important to understand the neural circuits or pathways so that we can develop therapies specifically for pain…