Step outside—isn’t it a beautiful spring day? Green grass, blue sky, trees in—achoo! Oh, sorry about that! This time of year, my eyes itch, my nose runs, and I get—achoo! Yep: allergies.
But perhaps the worst effects of hay fever may soon be eliminated. That’s because a study has discovered specific “sneeze neurons” in mice. We already know that when nerve cells in the nasal cavity get stimulated—by encountering, say, pollen—they alert the brain to sneeze, and expel the irritant. Researchers wondered if they could determine the exact type of nerve cells that cause sneezing. So, they exposed mice to a range of compounds, each of which triggered a common type of neuron. And—achoo! I mean, success! One compound made the mice noticeably sneeze, suggesting that these sensory neurons respond to irritants from allergies and viruses. In other words, the triggered nerve cells were the sneezy culprits.
More evidence followed when the scientists actually removed these neurons from the mice’s noses. They also gave the mice the flu. The mice got sick—but didn’t sneeze.
For those of us with spring allergies and winter colds, this study sounds like great news. And it gets better! The researchers ran a similar experiment examining neurons in the lower airways, and they discovered the nerve cells that spur coughing. It turns out that the mice’s “sneeze neurons” and “cough neurons” are completely different, despite the similarities between coughing and sneezing.
The study’s scientists believe that if the same neurons are found in humans, then medicine may soon target these nerve cells, giving coughers and sneezers some relief—even in beautiful springtime.
Special thanks to Qin Liu, Washington University, St. Louis, for reviewing today's episode.
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