The new finding follows research by Chen and his team in 2007 that identified the first itch gene -- gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) -- in the spinal cord, said a WUSM-SL statement.

They also showed that when mice were exposed to things that make them itchy, those without a GRPR gene scratched less than their normal littermates.

These findings appeared in the August issue of Science Express, the advance online publication of Science.