The receptor is present in humans, too, and Dr. Chen said it might be possible to develop a drug that would block it.

该受体也存在于人体之中，陈博士认为未来有望开发出一种可以阻断它的药物。

For many patients, new treatments cannot come soon enough.

但对于大多数患者而言，新疗法问世的速度还不够快。

Chronic itching becomes more common with age. One reason is that older people often develop dry skin, but Dr. Yosipovitch said the itching also might occur because certain nerves in the skin deteriorate — nerves that transmit pain and inhibit itching. "Then itch kind of pops out," he said.

随着年龄的增长，慢性瘙痒在人群中日渐常见。其原因之一是老年人往往存在皮肤干燥。但杨斯波维奇博士认为，皮肤中某些神经的受损也可能造成瘙痒——这些神经原本负责传导疼痛并抑制瘙痒，它们一出毛病，“瘙痒就蹦了出来，”他说。

Aging monkeys have provided some clues. When Dr. Yosipovitch was still at Wake Forest, he and his colleagues noticed older female macaques scratching their backs and lower limbs, the same spots where older people tend to itch.

衰老的猴子为此提供了一些线索。早在杨斯波维奇博士在维克森林大学工作时，他和同事们就发现老年雌性猕猴会抓挠自己的背部和下肢——老年人经常感到瘙痒的也是同样的部位。

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