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<p>The landmark discovery of piezo2 happened at the Scripps Research Institute, where researchers had spent years prodding cells with tiny glass probes. (When poked, the piezo receptor produces a small electrical current. Piezo is Greek for “to press.”) The researchers found two receptors — piezo1 and piezo2. When cells that contain these receptors are stretched, the receptors open up, letting in ions and setting off an electrical pulse.</p> <p>Piezo1 is implicated in our body’s built-in blood-pressure monitoring systems, as well as other internal systems that rely on pressure sensing. Piezo2, further research revealed, is a molecule critical for both touch and proprioception, a gateway through which mechanical forces begin their journey into our consciousness.</p> <p>In 2015, scientists were just starting to figure out what piezo2 did in mice, let alone humans. Bönnemann had to study up, and he returned to the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, and emailed Chesler, who was studying mice whose genes had been modified to lack piezo2. Bönnemann emailed him about the patient, as well as another — an 8-year-old girl in San Diego — they had identified as having the mutation.</p>
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The Myth Behind Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Revealed
The Myth Behind Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Revealed
A recent study could explain the mystery behind sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in human babies, which is considered to be linked with dysfunctional airway sensory neurons. A newly discovered protein called Piezo2 at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) seems to be associated in how the body controls breathing, according to a recent study performed by scientists at TSRI and Harvard Medical…
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“Sixth Sense” May Be More Than Just a Feeling
NIH study of rare genetic disorder reveals importance of touch and body awareness.
The research is in NEJM. (full open access)
