Vasoactive intestinal peptide mediation of development and functions of T lymphocytes

The first phase in investigating neural regulation of immunity has delineated anatomical connections, shared mediators and receptors for mediators with distinctive effects, and the immune functional consequences of altering relevant neural activities. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) are represented prominently in immune organs. They have potent novel effects on many aspects of immunity, are derived from and serve as autacoids in some sets of immune cells, and they participate in both physiological and pathological immune responses. The present phase of neuroimmune research has begun to elucidate the genetic determinants of expression and functions of neuromediators in immunity. Our evolving understanding of the novel mechanisms for adaptation and specificity in the VIP/PACAP neuroimmune network suggests the importance of immunoselective transcriptional control of expression of VIP/PACAP receptors in T cells, a dominant role for numerous cytokines, and the critical involvement of small subsets of VIP-/PACAP-responsive thymocytes and T cells.