Body's Cold Sensor May Hold the Key for Frostbite and Hypothermia Treatments

As temperatures drop, our bodies try to keep warm. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at the body's cold "sensor," and have found that it could hold the key for frostbite and hypothermia treatments.

The human body has several defense mechanisms when it comes to combating cold temperatures. The skin responds by narrowing its blood vessels in order to constrict the supply of blood and retain body heat. The reverse activity then occurs, called vasodilatation, where blood vessels are widened and more blood flows to the surface of the skin. This particular process is important for rewarming the skin and keeping it healthy.

Yet in extremely cold conditions, the cold is overpowering and disrupts blood flow. This can lead to frostbite or swelling. This, in turn, can cause injury.

In this case, the researchers turned their attention to a gene called TRPA1, which formerly has been linked to pain sensitivity and currently is used in the development of painkillers. Now, it seems as if the gene is also involved in cold exposure.

"In response to cold weather the body seeks first and foremost to keep the core warm, which means retaining blood close to the center and constricting blood supply to the skin," said Susan Brain, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our findings highlight the crucial role TRPA1 plays in this physiological response and could pave the way to learn of new pathways that limit the adverse effects of exposure to cold, and potentially the whole body cooling process associated with hypothermia."

The findings could allow researchers to better understand how and why blood vessels contract and expand. This, in turn, could help scientists develop treatments for conditions where blood vessel health is important.

"Next steps are to build on these promising early findings to learn more about the extent of the role of other TRP receptors in the skin's response to cold, especially as there is a large family of these temperature sensitive receptors and several of them have their own defined sensitivities to cold," said Brain. "Future research must also investigate the relationship between the vascular responses to cold exposure and the maintenance of skin and body temperatures."

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.