How Meissner touch receptors let us feel light, fast touches
Mechanism of Meissner corpuscle function
This project looks at how tiny skin sensors called Meissner corpuscles detect quick, fleeting touches that give people fine touch sensation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308719 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine Meissner corpuscles using the bill skin of tactile-specialist ducks because it has many of these structures and is easy to work with in the lab. They will record electrical signals from the cells, use imaging to watch cell interactions, and apply biophysical and molecular tools to identify how lamellar cells and the associated nerve endings respond to touch. The team will test whether lamellar cells actively detect mechanical stimuli and how they communicate with the sensory nerve. Findings will be used to build a clearer picture of how light touch is encoded at the skin level.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with reduced fingertip sensation, peripheral neuropathy, or other touch disorders would be most interested in advances that follow from this work.
Not a fit: This is basic laboratory research using animal tissue and does not offer direct treatment or enrollment opportunities for patients right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal basic mechanisms of touch that help guide future therapies and technologies for people with lost or altered touch.
How similar studies have performed: Anatomical and physiological studies have described Meissner corpuscles before, but testing whether lamellar cells act as active touch detectors is a novel and relatively untested approach.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bagriantsev, Sviatoslav — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Bagriantsev, Sviatoslav
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.