How Body Senses Cold: Molecular Sensors Explained

Body’s Cold Sensors Differ Between Skin and Internal Organs, New Research Reveals

A groundbreaking study published December 18, 2025, reveals the body uses distinct molecular sensors for cold detection in skin versus internal organs. The research, from the Institute for Neurosciences in Spain, impacts understanding thermal homeostasis and cold sensitivity.

Researchers pinpointed TRPM8 and TRPA1 ion channels. TRPM8 senses cold in skin, while TRPA1 primarily detects temperature decreases in internal organs like lungs and stomach.

The study appeared in Acta physiologica.

Did you know? – The sensation of cold differs between skin and internal organs due to unique sensory pathways and molecular receptors.

Pro tip: – Understanding these distinct pathways could lead to targeted therapies for conditions involving abnormal cold sensitivity.

Reader question: – Researchers used calcium imaging and electrophysiological recordings to observe neuronal responses to temperature changes in real-time.

Researchers used animal models, calcium imaging, and gene expression analyses to confirm these differences. The findings offer new research avenues into disrupted sensory signals in pathological conditions.

The research was funded by Miguel Hernandez University of Elche. Details are in “Transduction Mechanisms for Cold Temperature in Mouse Trigeminal and Vagal Ganglion Neurons Innervating Different Peripheral Organs,” by Katharina Gers‐Barlag et al., Acta Physiologica (2025), DOI: 10.1111/apha.70111.