To Detect and Reject, Parallel Roles for Taste and Immunity

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Sensory biology
• Physiology

Background:

• Biological entities communicate with their environment, regulating internal and external interactions.
• The immune and taste systems perform crucial functions in selective communication.
• Emerging evidence suggests shared signaling pathways, receptors, and feedback loops between taste and immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent findings on taste and immunity in model animals and humans.
• To explore the interplay between the taste and immune systems.
• To understand the functional relationship between taste receptors and immune responses.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on taste and immunity.
• Analysis of studies in model animals and human subjects.
• Synthesis of evidence on shared signaling pathways and receptors.

Main Results:

• Acute infections (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) cause inflammation and altered taste perception.
• Taste receptors act as immune sentinels in various body parts.
• Obesity-induced inflammation impacts taste bud composition and abundance.
• Taste cells and receptors are implicated in airway and gut immunity.
• Inflammation influences taste buds and other taste receptor-expressing cells for homeostasis.

Conclusions:

• The taste and immune systems are interconnected, sharing molecular mechanisms.
• Taste receptors play a role in sensing pathogens and modulating immune responses.
• Inflammation affects taste perception and taste bud structure, indicating a homeostatic role.