Specialized cutaneous Schwann cells initiate pain sensation
A newly discovered cell type for pain perception
Pain has been thought to be initiated by activation of free nerve endings without end organs in the skin. In contrast to this paradigm, Abdo et al. discovered a previously unknown meshlike organ covering the skin that senses dangerous environmental stimuli (see the Perspective by Doan and Monk). This organ is built from specialized glial cells located in the epidermal-dermal border and is sufficient and required for initiation of mechanical pain transduction.
Abstract
An essential prerequisite for the survival of an organism is the ability to detect and respond to aversive stimuli. Current belief is that noxious stimuli directly activate nociceptive sensory nerve endings in the skin. We discovered a specialized cutaneous glial cell type with extensive processes forming a mesh-like network in the subepidermal border of the skin that conveys noxious thermal and mechanical sensitivity. We demonstrate a direct excitatory functional connection to sensory neurons and provide evidence of a previously unknown organ that has an essential physiological role in sensing noxious stimuli. Thus, these glial cells, which are intimately associated with unmyelinated nociceptive nerves, are inherently mechanosensitive and transmit nociceptive information to the nerve.
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Supplementary Material
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Science
Volume 365 • Issue 6454 • 16 August 2019
Pages: 695 - 699
History
Received: 10 April 2019
Accepted: 2 July 2019
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.
This is an article distributed under the terms of the Science Journals Default License.
Authors
Funding Information
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100004440Wellcome Trust:
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781European Research Council: PainCells 740491
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004047Karolinska Institutet:
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004063Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse:
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004359Vetenskapsrådet:
