title: Itching for insight.
abstract: The itch sensation results from the excitation of primary sensory nerve endings in the skin, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Liu et al. (2009) now report that some members of the Mrgpr class of G protein-coupled receptors mediate the itch caused by the antimalarial drug chloroquine.
authors.affiliation: Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bandell
authors.forename: Ardem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patapoutian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D011537:Pruritus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine