Signals From Nervous System Influence Immune System, Study Shows

Source: University Of California - San Francisco (http://www.ucsf.edu/)
Posted: 11/19/2001
Science Daily

In a discovery that demonstrates a clear link between the mind and body at a molecular level, scientists have shown that a chemical signal which normally allows nerve cells to communicate with each other –to alter sleep cycles, for example -- can also re-direct actions of the immune system.

The research in mice confirms mounting evidence from studies of cultured cells that the nervous system directly influences the immune system. It has prompted new experiments to determine if the nerve-generated signal or its receptors in the immune system might make good drug targets to control asthma or allergies.

“This is the first clue of a practical pharmacological approach to using the nervous system for both improving immune defenses and damping harmful immune responses at their roots in diseases as diverse as arthritis and asthma,” said Edward Goetzl, MD, professor of medicine and immunology at the University of California, San Francisco.

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