Old Friends, immunoregulation, and stress resilience

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Stress-related disorders
• Inflammation and immunity

Background:

• Chronic adverse experiences, particularly psychosocial stress/trauma, are significant risk factors for somatic and affective disorders.
• Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are linked to chronic stress.
• Current understanding of the mechanisms behind stress-associated disorders is limited, impacting treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the underlying mechanisms of chronic stress-induced disorders.
• To identify novel prevention and treatment strategies for stress-related pathologies.
• To review the role of immune reactivity, inflammation, and microbial exposure in stress resilience.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing evidence on chronic stress, immune function, and microbial exposure.
• Analysis of the link between reduced exposure to 'Old Friends' microorganisms and immune dysregulation.
• Discussion of strategies to modulate immune responses and inflammation.

Main Results:

• Increased immune (re-)activity and inflammation are implicated in vulnerability to stress-related disorders.
• Reduced exposure to immunoregulatory 'Old Friends' microorganisms in modern society may contribute to this vulnerability.
• Strategies enhancing immunoregulatory processes, such as microbial exposure, show promise.

Conclusions:

• Immune dysregulation and inflammation, potentially driven by reduced 'Old Friends' exposure, are key factors in stress-related disorders.
• Increasing exposure to immunoregulatory microorganisms ('Old Friends') may be a viable strategy.
• Promoting stress resilience and preventing/treating chronic stress-related disorders can be achieved by enhancing immune regulation and reducing inflammation.