Pain and itch in a dish

(Scripps Research Institute) A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has found a simple method to convert human skin cells into the specialized neurons that detect pain, itch, touch and other bodily sensations. These neurons are also affected by spinal cord injury and involved in Friedreich's ataxia, a devastating and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease that largely strikes children.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news