Aleena Bacorro
Research Mentor: Lam Tsoi
Mentor Department: Dermatology / Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Medicine
Author(s): Aleena Bacorro, Lam “Alex” Tsoi
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 39
Abstract
Chronic pruritus, an itching sensation that lasts longer than 6 weeks, significantly impairs quality of life. Epidermal keratinocytes, the predominant cell type of the epidermis, forms the skin’s protective barrier and actively contributes to sensory signal transduction at the neuro-cutaneous unit. The genetic and cellular mechanisms underlying chronic pruritus and resulting skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and prurigo nodularis (PN) remain insufficiently understood. In order to understand this relationship, we analyzed keratinocyte-neuron reactions, analyzed patient results in R, and studied prior literature to gain a holistic understanding of the mechanisms of keratinocyte reactions with neurons. Through these methods, we understood that keratinocytes function as active sensory transducers that detect stimuli and communicate with sensory neurons primarily via ATP-Cx43 signaling at specialized contact zones, such as PIEZO1, TRPA1, TRPV1, and TRPV4. This keratinocyte-neuronal relationship may drive chronic itch pathophysiology in AD and PN, positioning keratinocytes as novel therapeutic targets for topical treatments that minimize systemic side effects. Keywords: chronic pruritus, keratinocyte-neuron interaction, ATP signaling, connexin 43, endothelin, IL-31, atopic dermatitis, prurigo nodularis
