Molecular basis of neuroimmune interaction in an in vitro coculture approach

A team of researchers from Nagoya, Tokyo and Hamilton developed a unique technique for studying neuro-immune interaction with confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy several years ago. It relies on guiding immune and nerve cell interaction by creating an adhesive environment using an in vitro coculture dish. With their technique, they are able to study details of the mechanism of how nerve cells communicate with immune cells (mast cells and T lymphocytes) and vice versa. They showed that nerve-mast cell communication could occur in the absence of an intermediary transducing cell and that the neuropeptide substance P, operating via NK-1 receptors, was a soluble factor of this communication. In addition, recently, they showed that ATP which was released from activated mast cells mediated the activation of nerve cells. Further, with their technique, Nagoya's group was able to study details of the molecular mechanism of nerve-mast cell interaction. N-cadherin and CADM1 (cell adhesion molecule 1) appeared to mediate attachment and promoted the communication between mast cells and nerves predominantly. It would lead to new therapeutic modalities for diseases based on neuroimmune interaction such as neurogenic inflammation, intestinal bowel diseases, asthma, and autoimmune disorders.