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A team of scientists from the Karolinska Institutet has discovered an unknown organ hitherto unknown in the skin, susceptible to painful mechanical damage such as punctures and shocks.
Abdo et al discovered an organ resembling a monster covering the skin and detecting dangerous environmental stimuli. Image credit: Tarkan K.
Pain causes suffering and entails significant costs for society. Nearly one in five feels constant pain and there is a considerable need to find new pain medication.
However, sensitivity to pain is also necessary for survival and has a protective function. It causes reflex reactions that prevent tissue damage, such as moving away from your hand when you feel a blow from a sharp object or when you burn yourself.
The newly discovered sensory organ is constructed from specialized glial cells located in the epidermal-dermal boundary.
It is sensitive to painful mechanical damage such as bites and pressure.
"Its activation causes electrical impulses in the nervous system, reflex reactions and a painful experience," said Prof. Patrik Ernfors and his colleagues.
"The glial cells that make up this organ are very sensitive to mechanical stimuli, which explains how they can participate in the detection of pin pricks and painful pressure."
In the study, the researchers also blocked the organ and found a decrease in the ability to feel mechanical pain.
"Our study shows that sensitivity to pain does not only occur in the nerve fibers of the skin, but also in this pain-sensitive organ," said Professor Ernfors.
"Discovery alters our understanding of the cellular mechanisms of physical sensation and may be important in understanding chronic pain."
The discovery is reported in a newspaper article Science.
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Hind Abdo et al. 2019. Specialized skin Schwann cells initiate the sensation of pain. Science 365 (6454): 695-699; doi: 10.1126 / science.aax6452
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