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Itch suppression in mice and dogs by modulation of spinal α2 and α3GABAA receptors.

Nature communications | 2018

Chronic itch is a highly debilitating condition affecting about 10% of the general population. The relay of itch signals is under tight control by inhibitory circuits of the spinal dorsal horn, which may offer a hitherto unexploited therapeutic opportunity. Here, we found that specific pharmacological targeting of inhibitory α2 and α3GABAA receptors reduces acute histaminergic and non-histaminergic itch in mice. Systemic treatment with an α2/α3GABAA receptor selective modulator alleviates also chronic itch in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis and in dogs sensitized to house dust mites, without inducing sedation, motor dysfunction, or loss of antipruritic activity after prolonged treatment. Transsynaptic circuit tracing, immunofluorescence, and electrophysiological experiments identify spinal α2 and α3GABAA receptors as likely molecular targets underlying the antipruritic effect. Our results indicate that drugs targeting α2 and α3GABAA receptors are well-suited to alleviate itch, including non-histaminergic chronic itch for which currently no approved treatment exists.

Pubmed ID: 30104684 RIS Download

Associated grants

  • Agency: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation), International
    Id: 156393
  • Agency: European Research Council, International
    Id: 250128
  • Agency: NIH HHS, United States
    Id: U42 OD012210
  • Agency: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), International
    Id: NE 2126/1-1
  • Agency: EC | European Research Council (ERC), International
    Id: DHISP 250128

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