How Our Skin and Nerves Sense Touch and Respond to Stress
The biophysics of skin-neuron sensory tactile organs and their sensitivity to mechanical and chemical stress
This project explores how our skin and nerves work together to sense touch and movement, which is crucial for everyday activities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11178318 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies rely on specialized nerve cells in the skin, muscles, and organs to feel touch and movement, allowing us to perform daily tasks. This research aims to uncover how mechanical forces on the skin are turned into electrical signals by these nerves, creating our sense of touch. Scientists are using advanced tools and models, including a tiny worm called C. elegans, to study these processes at a very detailed level. The team also wants to understand how nerves can bend without getting damaged, which is important for their function.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research does not directly involve patient participation at this stage, but future studies building on this work may seek individuals with conditions affecting touch or nerve function.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment options or direct clinical intervention would not find direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A deeper understanding of how touch works could lead to new ways to help people with conditions affecting their sense of touch or movement, such as those with autoimmune diseases.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific combination of techniques and focus on skin-neuron composites is novel, previous basic science has successfully used model organisms to understand fundamental biological processes relevant to human health.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goodman, Miriam B — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Goodman, Miriam B
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.