Researchers have discovered a hidden mechanism within hair follicles that allow us to feel touch.
Imperial researchers have discovered a hidden mechanism within hair follicles that allow us to feel touch.
Lead author of the paper Dr Claire Higgins, from Imperial's Department of Bioengineering, said:"This is a surprising finding as we don't yet know why hair follicle cells have this role in processing light touch. Since the follicle contains many sensory nerve endings, we now want to determine if the hair follicle is activating specific types of sensory nerves for an unknown but unique mechanism.
When they blocked the receptor for these neurotransmitters on the sensory neurons, the neurons no longer responded to the hair follicle cell stimulation. Similarly, when they blocked synaptic vesicle production by hair follicle cells, they were no longer able to signal to the sensory nerves. Dr Higgins said:"This is interesting as histamine in the skin contributes to inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, and it has always been presumed that immune cells release all the histamine. Our work uncovers a new role for skin cells in the release of histamine, with potential applications for eczema research."
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