Potential New Therapeutic Targets for Pathological Pruritus

Very few approved medications are indicated for the treatment of pruritus, and drug development for pruritic diseases is awaited. During the past two decades, progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of the physiology and pathophysiology of pruritus. Newly identified potential targets for pathological pruritus include receptors (histamine H-4 receptor, leukotriene B-4 receptors, interleukin-31 receptor A, bombesin BB2 receptor, toll-like receptor 3, alpha-adrenoceptor, and opioid, mu- and kappa-receptors), channels (transient receptor potential (TRP) V3 and TRPA1 channels), and enzymes (histidine decarboxylase, sphingomyelin glucosylceramide deacylase, 5-lipoxygenase, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase, and autotaxin). The development of specific, effective blockers and agonists/antagonists of these targets is awaited.