Beyond cytokines: Influences of the endocrine system on human immune homeostasis

The immune system must be tightly controlled to prevent potentially damaging over-response to pathogens and must also be actively maintained in a responsive state when no immediate threat is present. These processes of control and maintenance are important for sustaining a state of immune homeostasis and are controlled by a network of cellular and molecular interactions. Here, we highlight a recent publication in Immunology (2021) where the authors have examined the effects of the thyroid and pituitary hormones, thyrotrophin and thyroxine, on immune homeostasis in humans. This work reveals homeostatic effects of these hormones on T cells and B cells and raises the possibility that the endocrine system might be manipulated to modulate the immune response.