Why Do We Sneeze? A Mouse Study Found Sneezing and Coughing Use Different Nerves

A sneeze and a cough both blast air out of your airway. For a long time, scientists assumed the same nerve cells set both off. A 2024 study suggests they do not.

What each reflex is for

The researchers, writing in the journal Cell, describe sneezing and coughing as reflexes believed to protect the airway by pushing out germs, allergens and irritants. Both are also main symptoms of many respiratory viral infections and allergies, and infections often spread through droplets released by sneezes and coughs.

Where each one starts

According to the study, sneezing is set off by sensory nerve fibers in the lining of the nose. Their cell bodies sit in a cluster of nerves called the trigeminal ganglia, and they pick up touch, temperature and chemical signals. Coughing mainly happens in the lower airway.

What the study found

The team studied mice. They found that the nose lining has several groups of sensory nerve cells, but only one group, marked by a gene called MrgprC11, triggered sneezing in response to many different irritants, allergens and viruses. That same group also reaches the windpipe, yet it did not trigger coughing. A different group, marked by somatostatin, triggered coughing but not sneezing. The two signals also travel along different pathways in the brain.

Why it matters, and the limits

The authors say the finding points to separate nerve targets for treating sneezing and coughing in infections and allergies. The experiments were done in mice, so it is not a proven treatment for people. The authors also note that whether mice cough at all has been debated, which is why they built a new cough test for the study.

Sources

• Jiang H, et al., Divergent sensory pathways of sneezing and coughing, Cell (published online September 6, 2024): https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00900-0
• WashU Medicine, Neurons that trigger sneezing, coughing identified in mice (September 2024): https://source.washu.edu/2024/09/neurons-that-trigger-sneezing-coughing-identified-in-mice/

Facts checked: October 11, 2026.