Ditch the itch

Gene scientists may have scratched the problem of severe itching that plagues people who have conditions such as eczema.

Washington University in St. Louis scientists say their discovery of the "itch gene", called gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), could rapidly lead to new treatments that directly target itchiness.

The study in Nature was originally aimed at finding genes for pain, but when the researchers bred laboratory mice that lacked the GRPR gene, they still felt pain.

•	Ditch the itch The Times (UK), Saturday, July 28, 2007 Byline: John Naish

	Story also ran in 4 others:  The Guardian (UK), Hindustan Times (India), Philadelphia Inquirer and and St. Louis Post-Dispatch