Pharmacology of Itch

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

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2. Historical Background of Itch

   • Elke Weisshaar, Wolfgang U. Eckart, Jeffrey D. Bernhard

   Pages 1-14

3. Pruritus Epidemiology and Quality of Life

   • Brittany Leader, Christopher W. Carr, Suephy C. Chen

   Pages 15-38

4. Neurophysiology and Itch Pathways

   • Martin Schmelz

   Pages 39-55

5. Neuroimaging of Itch as a Tool of Assessment of Chronic Itch and Its Management

   • Gil Yosipovitch, Hideki Mochizuki

   Pages 57-70

6. The Role of the Mrgpr Receptor Family in Itch

   • Qin Liu, Xinzhong Dong

   Pages 71-88

7. Transient Receptor Potential Channels and Itch: How Deep Should We Scratch?

   • Balázs I. Tóth, Arpad Szallasi, Tamás Bíró

   Pages 89-133

8. Itch Control by Toll-Like Receptors

   • Sarah Taves, Ru-Rong Ji

   Pages 135-150

9. Transmission of Pruriceptive Signals

   • Santosh K. Mishra, Mark A. Hoon

   Pages 151-162

10. Role of Cytokines and Chemokines in Itch

    • Eoin R. Storan, Susan M. O’Gorman, Ian D. McDonald, Martin Steinhoff

    Pages 163-176

11. Interactions Between Keratinocytes and Somatosensory Neurons in Itch

    • Jamie Schwendinger-Schreck, Sarah R. Wilson, Diana M. Bautista

    Pages 177-190

12. Itch and Its Inhibition by Counter Stimuli

    • Lindsey M. Snyder, Sarah E. Ross

    Pages 191-206

13. Noradrenergic Modulation of Itch Transmission in the Spinal Cord

    • Yasushi Kuraishi

    Pages 207-217

14. Protease-Activated Receptors and Itch

    • Tasuku Akiyama, Ethan A. Lerner, E. Carstens

    Pages 219-235

15. NK-1 Antagonists and Itch

    • Sonja Ständer, Thomas A. Luger

    Pages 237-255

16. Antihistamines and Itch

    • Robin L. Thurmond, Kayvan Kazerouni, Sandra R. Chaplan, Andrew J. Greenspan

    Pages 257-290

17. Targeting Itch with Ligands Selective for κ Opioid Receptors

    • Alan Cowan, George B. Kehner, Saadet Inan

    Pages 291-314

18. Neuraxial Opioid-Induced Itch and Its Pharmacological Antagonism

    • Mei-Chuan Ko

    Pages 315-335

19. Current Topical and Systemic Therapies for Itch

    • Tabi Anika Leslie, Malcolm W. Greaves, Gil Yosipovitch

    Pages 337-356

20. Atopic Itch in Dogs: Pharmacology and Modeling

    • Thierry Olivry, Wolfgang Bäumer

    Pages 357-369

Basic research on the pharmacology of itch has exploded in the wake of two very influential papers that were published in Nature (2007) and Science (2009). Long overlooked as a milder form of pain, itching has rapidly gained a new appreciation in both research and clinical communities because of its complexity and its negative effects on the quality of life of the distressed patients. Like pain, not all itches are the same. Unlike pain, there are no standard drugs equivalent to aspirin and morphine. Epidemiological studies emphasize the high incidence and economic costs of itch (pruritus). It is the most prevalent symptom of a wide variety of allergic and inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis), is associated with several systemic diseases (e.g., chronic kidney and liver disease), and occurs in patients undergoing hemodialysis, spinal administration of opioids, and in those suffering from AIDS. The reader will learn about the multiple pathways for itch and their interactions with pain. The relationship between these closely related, yet distinct sensory phenomena, will be emphasized. Both itch and pain use several common molecules to send signals to the brain. Thus, drugs that have been, and are being, developed as analgesics may also attenuate intractable itch. This has been an exciting and very necessary turn of events since traditional H-1 receptor antagonists are ineffective in blocking the pruritus associated with kidney failure and cholestasis. The clinical chapters will provide insights into contemporary treatment regimens for pruritus in different human scenarios.

• chronic itch
• itch and pain
• itch models
• itch suppression
• new antipruritics

• Department of Pharmacology Center for Substance Abuse Research, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA

  Alan Cowan

• Department of Dermatology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadephia, USA

  Gil Yosipovitch

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