Nav1.9 participation in chronic itch

Even though the scientific community is in virtual agreement on a prominent contribution of Nav19 (gene name: SCN11A) to pain, the role of this voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel subtype in itch is virtually unknown Yet, patients with a Nav19 pL811P mutation consistently report debilitating chronic itch Our previous work uncovered a role for Nav19 in transmitting acute itch signals via peripheral nerves, likely via a subset of prurinergic fibers Here, we propose to further investigate this channel in relation to chronic itch, the dominant clinical phenotype Furthermore, preliminary data suggest that Nav19 is also expressed in sympathetic neurons where its function is unknown Since Nav19 pL811P patients also report dysautonomia symptoms, we will explore if Nav19 is functional in the autonomic nervous system where it may contribute to chronic itch