The immune system as a sensorial system that can modulate brain functions and reset homeostasis

Evidence indicates that activated immune cells release products, typically cytokines, that can convey information to the brain about the type of ongoing peripheral immune responses. This evidence led colleagues and me to categorize the immune system as another sensorial system that, upon receiving this information, can emit neuroendocrine signals with immunoregulatory functions that can also reset homeostatic mechanisms. Here, I discuss evidence and clues indicating (1) possible mechanisms by which cytokines, such as those of the interleukin 1 (IL-1) family, can reset energy homeostasis to balance the high fuel requirement of the immune system and the brain; and (2) the possibility that the tripartite synapse, which includes astrocytes as a third component, processes and integrates immune signals at brain levels with other sensorial signals that the central nervous system permanently receives.