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Preface to the special issue "Neuroimmunology"
1Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Insights
Neuroimmunology explores the communication between immune cells and the central nervous system (CNS). This special issue details how these interactions impact CNS injury, infections, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Neuroimmunology investigates the intricate communication between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS).
- Shared signaling molecules and receptors facilitate bidirectional communication between immune and neural cells across the CNS and peripheral organs.
- This interaction is crucial for maintaining central nervous system homeostasis in both health and disease.
Discussion:
- The Special Issue on Neuroimmunology features 14 articles (9 reviews, 5 original) exploring neuroimmune signaling.
- Articles cover neuroimmunology's role in CNS injury, infections (central and peripheral), cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and COVID-19.
- The collection highlights the consequences of inflammation on immune-brain communication pathways.
Key Insights:
- Neuroimmune signaling influences diverse biological processes, including immunity, behavior, endocrinology, metabolism, and pathology.
- Understanding these pathways is vital for addressing neurological disorders and CNS-related pathologies.
- Inflammation significantly impacts the communication networks between the immune system and the brain.
Outlook:
- Future research will further elucidate the complex signaling mechanisms in neuroimmunology.
- Continued investigation is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases.
- Advancements in neuroimmunology promise to deepen our understanding of brain function and disease pathogenesis.
Abstract:
This preface introduces the Special Issue on Neuroimmunology in the Journal of Neurochemistry. The basis of neuroimmunology is to understand functional interactions between cells of the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). These cells communicate across systems because they share signaling molecules and corresponding receptors. Moreover, this cell signaling allows for dynamic bidirectional communication between the immune system and the brain both within the CNS proper as well as across peripheral organs. Because of this, Neuroimmunology intersects with many biological processes including immunity, behavior, endocrinology, metabolism, and pathology. Understanding neuroimmune interactions that influence CNS homeostasis is especially relevant in health and disease. This special issue comprises of 14 articles, representing 9 review articles and 5 original articles, covering the roles of neuroimmunology relevant to CNS injury, CNS & peripheral infections, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and COVID-19. Thus, these articles highlight different aspects of neuroimmunology and signaling, and represent progress in understanding the consequences of inflammation on key communication pathways between the immune system and the brains.
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