Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Clinical Application of Sleeping Beauty and Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells to Genetically Modify T Cells from Peripheral and Umbilical Cord Blood
09:29

Clinical Application of Sleeping Beauty and Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells to Genetically Modify T Cells from Peripheral and Umbilical Cord Blood

Published on: February 1, 2013

Somnogenic activity of immune response modifiers

J M Krueger1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Memphis 38163.

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
|March 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Infectious diseases often cause sleepiness by activating normal sleep pathways. Microbial and immune substances like interleukin-1 exaggerate these mechanisms, altering sleep patterns during illness.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Sleepiness is a common symptom across various infectious diseases.
  • Microbial products and immune responses are implicated in altering sleep during infection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the mechanisms by which microbial and endogenous substances modulate sleep during infection.
  • To understand how physiological sleep mechanisms are affected during illness.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on sleep modulation by immune response modifiers.
  • Analysis of the role of specific microbial products (muramyl peptides, lipid A, double-stranded RNA) and endogenous substances (interleukin-1) in sleep regulation.

Main Results:

  • Microbial products and elicited endogenous substances, such as interleukin-1, significantly influence sleep.
  • Altered sleep during infection appears to stem from an overactivation of the body's natural sleep mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Normal sleep is regulated by a complex interplay of substances, including immune response modifiers.
  • The exaggerated activation of these physiological sleep mechanisms contributes to altered sleep during infectious diseases.

More Related Videos

High-Throughput Small Molecule Drug Screening For Age-Related Sleep Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster05:59

High-Throughput Small Molecule Drug Screening For Age-Related Sleep Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: October 20, 2023

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes11:34

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Management of Insomnia01:19

Management of Insomnia

The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
Immunological Memory01:23

Immunological Memory

Immunological memory, a pivotal pillar of the adaptive immune system, is responsible for the body's ability to remember and respond more swiftly and effectively to previously encountered pathogens. This remarkable feature is what makes vaccines so effective in preventing diseases.
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature is...