Angry basophils (IMAGE) Washington University School of Medicine Caption Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that cells in the blood called basophils (brown in illustration) can react to allergens (round honeycomb shapes) in the environment and send itch signals to nerve cells, leading to episodes of severe itch in eczema patients that can't be treated by antihistamines. Credit Illustration by Madison Mack Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.