Emily is a health news writer based in London, United Kingdom. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Durham University and a master's degree in clinical and therapeutic neuroscience from Oxford University. She has worked in science communication, medical writing and as a local news reporter while undertaking journalism training.
Humans have an attuned sense of touch that connects us to our surroundings, and now, scientists think they've discovered a previously unknown way that we use this sense.
The findings, published Oct. 27 in the journal Science Advances, were drawn from isolated cells and have yet to be proven in living organisms. However, if confirmed, they may expand the repertoire of known ways that humans sense touch, including via the activation of sensory neurons in the skin that detect both touch and the movement of hair.
"So, we are intrigued to discover what the hair follicle adds to the process of touch sensation and why it has this role," she said.In the new study, the researchers analyzed the gene activity of more than 40,000 cells isolated from human hair follicles and skin. They did this by looking at RNA molecules, which relay instructions for building proteins from the cell's DNA to its protein construction sites.
In another experiment, the authors discovered that hair follicle cells activated the nearby neurons by releasing the neurotransmitters serotonin and histamine, which also triggers inflammation. The skin cells also released histamine in response to touch, but not serotonin, and the authors are curious whether both the skin cells' and hair follicles' activation could be linked to skin diseases such as eczema.
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