Pain and Itch: Beneficial or Harmful to Antimicrobial Defense?
Pain and itch are unpleasant sensations accompanying many microbial infections. Recent studies demonstrate that pain- and itch-mediating somatosensory neurons are able to directly detect pathogens, triggering neuronal activation and subsequent regulation of immune responses. We discuss whether pain and/or itch during infection is beneficial or harmful to host antimicrobial defense.
Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Pankaj
P
Baral
Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Kimbria
K
Mills
Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Felipe A
FA
Pinho-Ribeiro
Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Division of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: isaac_chiu@hms.harvard.edu.
Isaac M
IM
Chiu
D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000276:immunology; D010146:Pain / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
host defense; itch; neuroimmunology; pain