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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Intravital Two-Photon Imaging of Touch Sensory Axon Morphology in Mouse Skin
Published on: December 30, 2025
Interactions between keratinocytes and somatosensory neurons in itch
Jamie Schwendinger-Schreck1, Sarah R Wilson, Diana M Bautista
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Berkeley, 355 LSA MC#3200, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA.
Abstract:
Keratinocytes are epithelial cells that make up the stratified epidermis of the skin. Recent studies suggest that keratinocytes promote chronic itch. Changes in skin morphology that accompany a variety of chronic itch disorders and the multitude of inflammatory mediators secreted by keratinocytes that target both sensory neurons and immune cells highlight the importance of investigating the connection between keratinocytes and chronic itch. This chapter addresses some of the most recent data and models for the role keratinocytes play in the development and maintenance of chronic itch.
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