Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2025
09:40
Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons
Published on: June 30, 2022
2.2K
Multimodal control of dendritic cell functions by nociceptors
Pavel Hanč1,2, Rodrigo J Gonzalez1,2, Irina B Mazo1,2
1Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 30, 2023
Summary
Nerve cells called nociceptors communicate with immune cells called dendritic cells (DCs) in three ways. This interaction influences immune responses in barrier tissues, impacting inflammation and adaptive immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Interactions between nociceptors and dendritic cells (DCs) modulate immune responses in barrier tissues.
- The communication mechanisms between nociceptors and DCs are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which nociceptors control dendritic cells.
- To investigate the role of nociceptor-derived factors and activity in immune modulation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gene expression profiles in DCs following nociceptor interaction.
- Measurement of calcium fluxes and membrane potential in DCs upon nociceptor activation.
- Assessment of DC cytokine production and immune responses in vivo.
Main Results:
- Nociceptors release calcitonin gene-related peptide, altering DC transcription towards sentinel functions.
- Nociceptor activation causes calcium influx and depolarization in DCs, enhancing cytokine production.
- Nociceptor-derived chemokine CCL2 promotes DC-mediated inflammation and adaptive immunity.
Conclusions:
- Nociceptors employ neuropeptides, chemokines, and electrical signaling to regulate DC function.
- These finely tuned interactions are critical for immune surveillance and response in barrier tissues.
Related Concept Videos
01:44Nociception
28.2K
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain.
28.2K
01:16Sensory Functions of the Skin
5.2K
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
5.2K
01:24Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
894
Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...
894
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
694
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
694
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
1.1K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
1.1K
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
4.8K
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
4.8K