Staphylococcus scratches its itch

Itch exacerbates infection and inflammation-associated skin pathology. In this issue of Cell, Deng et al. identify a V8 protease released by Staphylococcus aureus triggering itch via neuronal protease-activated receptor 1. In so doing, they uncover profound consequences of microbial neurosensory modulation and the ensuing scratch-induced tissue damage that potentiates infection.