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Microbial endocrinology: how stress influences susceptibility to infection

Primrose P E Freestone1, Sara M Sandrini, Richard D Haigh

  • 1Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK. ppef1@le.ac.uk

Trends in Microbiology
|January 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Microbial endocrinology explores how microbes use stress hormones for growth and infection. This field reveals widespread microbial responsiveness to human stress hormones, advancing our understanding of infectious disease pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Neurophysiology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Stress significantly impacts infectious disease pathogenesis.
  • The field of microbial endocrinology integrates microbiology, endocrinology, and neurophysiology.
  • Microorganisms possess systems to utilize neurohormones as environmental cues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a holistic understanding of stress mechanisms in infectious disease.
  • To review the field of microbial endocrinology and its recent advances.
  • To highlight the widespread responsiveness of microbes to host neurohormones.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of microbial endocrinology.
  • Analysis of microbial systems interacting with neurohormones.
  • Documentation of recent research findings in the field.

Main Results:

  • Responsiveness to human stress hormones is prevalent across diverse microbial species.
  • Neurohormones act as critical environmental cues for microbial growth and pathogenesis.
  • Significant advances have been made in understanding microbial-hormonal interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial endocrinology offers a novel framework for studying host-pathogen interactions.
  • Understanding microbial responses to stress hormones is crucial for infectious disease management.
  • Further research in microbial endocrinology promises new therapeutic strategies.

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