Microbial 'old friends', immunoregulation and socioeconomic status

Area of Science:

• Immunology and Environmental Health

Background:

• The human immune system co-evolved with 'old friends' like commensal microbes and environmental organisms.
• Urbanization and modern lifestyles reduce exposure to these beneficial microbes and increase exposure to 'crowd infections' lacking immunoregulatory roles.
• This imbalance contributes to increased immunoregulatory disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the immunoregulatory role of the natural environment.
• To investigate how environmental exposure modulates immune responses, particularly in relation to psychosocial stressors.
• To understand the differential impact on individuals of varying socioeconomic status (SES).

Main Methods:

• Review of evolutionary immunology principles.
• Analysis of epidemiological data on green space exposure and health outcomes.
• Discussion of the interaction between environmental factors and immune regulation.

Main Results:

• Reduced exposure to 'old friends' (microbiota, natural environment, old infections) is linked to immune dysregulation.
• The natural environment plays a crucial role in immune system development and regulation.
• Health benefits of green spaces are most significant for individuals of low SES, potentially mitigating stress-related inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Re-establishing exposure to the natural environment is vital for immune health.
• Environmental interventions may be particularly beneficial for low SES populations facing psychosocial stress.
• Understanding these interactions is key to addressing the rise in immunoregulatory disorders.