The Modulation of Neuroimmune Responses in Peripheral Inflammation

The brain, as the "commander-in-chief" of the human body, is known to pick up the peripheral situation and dictate orders to the periphery on time, and the immune system makes no exception. Inflammation is a defensive reaction of the body, which can be beneficial, however, unrestricted inflammation can result in life-threatening injuries and multi-organ dysfunction. The intricate interaction between the nervous and the immune system would prevent inflammation from spreading indefinitely. The onset of life-threatening bursts of inflammation may indicate neurological dysregulation, at which point additional interventions are necessary to establish a new balance. However, these interventions must be predicated on an understanding of the neuroimmune communication. Consequently, we provide a comprehensive pathway that illustrates how the central nervous system detects peripheral inflammatory signals that are transmitted by nerves or related substances and subsequently regulates peripheral inflammation through the autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrine system, intending to discover new methods of treating peripheral inflammation by intervening the nervous system.