Editorial: Itch treatments

Similar to pain, pruritus (itch) is a very common somato-sensory sensation that almost everyone experiences in their lifetime. Once dysregulated, pruritus can become chronic and debilitating, significantly affecting a patient's and their family's quality of life (1). Molecular biology and translational research have helped to better identify and understand the molecular mechanisms of the various pathways of histamine-dependent and -independent itch and supported the development of new treatment options for the different subtypes of pruritic diseases, whether inflammatory or non-inflammatory, neurologic or neuropathic, for example (2–6). Furthermore, to identify the cellular mechanisms that differentiate and specify the different itch pathways in the various pruritic diseases is critical (7). The treatment options for CP span a number of topical and systemic medications as well as phototherapy, depending on the underlying disease, age, and comorbidities (8, 9). Even in pruritus of unknown origin, the anti-IL-4 receptor-a antibody dupilumab has been shown to be effective, at least in a case report, suggesting that cytokines and microinflammation play a role in presumptive “non-inflammatory” conditions to a larger extent than anticipated (1, 6). However, neuro-modulatory agents are still necessary in various pruritic diseases, especially to treat neuropathic pruritus (2, 5) or prurigo (7). Here, extensive translational and clinical studies are necessary to stratify the best treatment.

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Published in: Frontiers in Medicine
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1373702