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▎Why do editors of WuXi AppTec's content team sneeze? A paper published online in the journal Cell today provides a potential answer to this interesting question
.
A team led by Professor Liu Qin from Washington University in St.
Louis (WUSTL) discovered the neurological mechanism behind the "sneeze reflex", which is expected to allow us to find a way to control sneezing
.
At this time, reducing sneezing is of great significance
.
Many pathogens, including the new coronavirus, are spread through the air
.
“A sneeze can produce 20,000 virus-laden droplets, and they can be suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes,” Professor Liu Qin commented.
“In contrast, a cough and a few minutes of speech can only produce about 3,000 A droplet
.
In order to prevent future virus outbreaks and treat pathological sneezes caused by allergens, it is very important to understand the pathways behind sneezing
.
"Easier said than done
.
As early as more than 20 years ago, scientists have found areas in the central nervous system that can stimulate sneezing
.
However, more than 20 years later, researchers still don't know much about the cellular and molecular biological mechanisms behind sneezing
.
▲Professor Liu Qin, the research leader (photo source: Professor Liu Qin's laboratory website) In order to fill this gap, the team of Professor Liu Qin decided to use a mouse model to find out
.
Specifically, the researchers exposed mice to aerosolized capsaicin and other molecules that stimulate sneezing, and then observed the neural response behind it and screened the signaling molecules that may be involved
.
Previously, people already knew which nerve cells would respond to capsaicin
.
By analyzing these nerve cells, the scientists found a type of nasal sensory neurons that are associated with capsaicin-induced sneezing
.
In theory, after these neurons are activated, they will tell the brain: "I'm stimulated, you sneeze quickly
.
" ▲After exposure to irritating substances, mice will also sneeze (Video source: Reference [2]; Credit: Liu Lab at Washington University School of Medicine) So how do they communicate with the brain? The researchers further searched for the neurotransmitter/neuropeptide secreted by these neurons and found a molecule called "Neurotonin B" (NMB)
.
It may be the key to the "sneezing" signal
.
To test this idea, the researchers looked for neurons that might be sensitive to secreted NMB, and eliminated neurons that might receive NMB signals
.
Sure enough, the mouse's sneeze reflex disappeared
.
In addition, the researchers also found that even if these neurons are retained, as long as their NMB receptors are removed, the sneezing reflex can also be suppressed
.
Interestingly, when these brain regions of mice are exposed to NMB molecules, even if they are not exposed to capsaicin or other allergens that make them sneeze, these animals still sneeze
.
These results clearly show that NMB is the key signal molecule that induces sneezing! ▲After the schematic diagram of the mechanism of mouse sneezing (picture source: reference [1]), this team further improved the mechanism
.
They pointed out that those neurons that receive NMB signals are mapped to the caudal ventral respiratory group (cVRG)
.
When these neurons are activated, they will induce the action potential of cVRG neurons to complete a series of responses to sneezing
.
"Interestingly, these neurons that stimulate sneezing are not in any brainstem area related to breathing
.
" Professor Liu Qin said
.
This may be a mechanism evolved by the brain to avoid interference with important functions during the evolution of the brain-neurons related to sneezing are not in important parts of controlling breathing, but through direct connections between neurons to complete their functions.
Coordination
.
In summary, researchers have found the molecular biological mechanism of the "sneeze reflex" and solved a problem in this field for more than 20 years
.
The research highlights section of "Cell" magazine also mentioned that this is the first "peptidergic pathway" related to chemically induced/allergic-induced sneeze
.
▲This research is expected to allow us to find a good way to control sneezing (picture source: 123RF).
In terms of application, these findings are expected to give us a better understanding of sneezing
.
Whether it is to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses or to alleviate the discomfort of the allergic season, targeting NMB and its receptors may be a potential way to reduce sneezing, which needs to be explored by future new drug developers
.
Reference: [1] Fengxian Li et al.
, (2021), Sneezing reflex is mediated by a peptidergic pathway from nose to brainstem, Cell, DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
cell.
2021.
05.
017 [2] What makes us sneeze? Retrieved June 15, 2021, from https://medicine.
wustl.
edu/news/what-happens-when-we-sneeze/
.
A team led by Professor Liu Qin from Washington University in St.
Louis (WUSTL) discovered the neurological mechanism behind the "sneeze reflex", which is expected to allow us to find a way to control sneezing
.
At this time, reducing sneezing is of great significance
.
Many pathogens, including the new coronavirus, are spread through the air
.
“A sneeze can produce 20,000 virus-laden droplets, and they can be suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes,” Professor Liu Qin commented.
“In contrast, a cough and a few minutes of speech can only produce about 3,000 A droplet
.
In order to prevent future virus outbreaks and treat pathological sneezes caused by allergens, it is very important to understand the pathways behind sneezing
.
"Easier said than done
.
As early as more than 20 years ago, scientists have found areas in the central nervous system that can stimulate sneezing
.
However, more than 20 years later, researchers still don't know much about the cellular and molecular biological mechanisms behind sneezing
.
▲Professor Liu Qin, the research leader (photo source: Professor Liu Qin's laboratory website) In order to fill this gap, the team of Professor Liu Qin decided to use a mouse model to find out
.
Specifically, the researchers exposed mice to aerosolized capsaicin and other molecules that stimulate sneezing, and then observed the neural response behind it and screened the signaling molecules that may be involved
.
Previously, people already knew which nerve cells would respond to capsaicin
.
By analyzing these nerve cells, the scientists found a type of nasal sensory neurons that are associated with capsaicin-induced sneezing
.
In theory, after these neurons are activated, they will tell the brain: "I'm stimulated, you sneeze quickly
.
" ▲After exposure to irritating substances, mice will also sneeze (Video source: Reference [2]; Credit: Liu Lab at Washington University School of Medicine) So how do they communicate with the brain? The researchers further searched for the neurotransmitter/neuropeptide secreted by these neurons and found a molecule called "Neurotonin B" (NMB)
.
It may be the key to the "sneezing" signal
.
To test this idea, the researchers looked for neurons that might be sensitive to secreted NMB, and eliminated neurons that might receive NMB signals
.
Sure enough, the mouse's sneeze reflex disappeared
.
In addition, the researchers also found that even if these neurons are retained, as long as their NMB receptors are removed, the sneezing reflex can also be suppressed
.
Interestingly, when these brain regions of mice are exposed to NMB molecules, even if they are not exposed to capsaicin or other allergens that make them sneeze, these animals still sneeze
.
These results clearly show that NMB is the key signal molecule that induces sneezing! ▲After the schematic diagram of the mechanism of mouse sneezing (picture source: reference [1]), this team further improved the mechanism
.
They pointed out that those neurons that receive NMB signals are mapped to the caudal ventral respiratory group (cVRG)
.
When these neurons are activated, they will induce the action potential of cVRG neurons to complete a series of responses to sneezing
.
"Interestingly, these neurons that stimulate sneezing are not in any brainstem area related to breathing
.
" Professor Liu Qin said
.
This may be a mechanism evolved by the brain to avoid interference with important functions during the evolution of the brain-neurons related to sneezing are not in important parts of controlling breathing, but through direct connections between neurons to complete their functions.
Coordination
.
In summary, researchers have found the molecular biological mechanism of the "sneeze reflex" and solved a problem in this field for more than 20 years
.
The research highlights section of "Cell" magazine also mentioned that this is the first "peptidergic pathway" related to chemically induced/allergic-induced sneeze
.
▲This research is expected to allow us to find a good way to control sneezing (picture source: 123RF).
In terms of application, these findings are expected to give us a better understanding of sneezing
.
Whether it is to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses or to alleviate the discomfort of the allergic season, targeting NMB and its receptors may be a potential way to reduce sneezing, which needs to be explored by future new drug developers
.
Reference: [1] Fengxian Li et al.
, (2021), Sneezing reflex is mediated by a peptidergic pathway from nose to brainstem, Cell, DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
1016/j.
cell.
2021.
05.
017 [2] What makes us sneeze? Retrieved June 15, 2021, from https://medicine.
wustl.
edu/news/what-happens-when-we-sneeze/
