itch

The same receptor on nerve endings that makes sinuses tingle when we eat wasabi plays an important role in the pain of inflammation. The first 3-D view of the receptor could lead to better pain drugs.

Itch can be a useful warning sign, or a maddening symptom with no cure. But the origins of itch have long been a mystery. Scientists think they've come closer to understanding the origins of itch in a molecule that makes mice scratch like mad.