A team of scientists from the University of Louvain in Belgium has discovered a vital process which helps your brain understand that you’ve scratched enough, an achievement that may revolutionise the treatment of millions of patients who suffer from chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

The culprit is a protein named TRPV4, an ion channel which serves as a gatekeeper for sensory nerve fibres. Scratching an itch causes TRPV4 to send negative feedback to the spinal cord and the brain, telling........

© The News International