Lending an ear to the lung.

The unprecedented recent advancement in the field of interoception (sensing self) has introduced neuromodulation as a realistic treatment approach. Shibuya et al. identified an ear-to-lung reflex in which activation of auricular-innervating TRPV1+ vagal sensory neurons functions through neuropeptide CGRPβ to suppress allergic airway inflammation, providing an elegant example of exteroceptive control of interoception and a mechanism for transcutaneous neuromodulation.