Vijay K. Kuchroo, PhD, DVM, of the Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammationof Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the co-corresponding author of a paper published in Nature, “Neuropeptide signaling orchestrates T cell differentiation.” How would you summarize your study for a lay audience? T helper (TH) cells are essential immune cells that help other immune cells function effectively.
When activated in response to environmental stimuli, these cells can differentiate into either TH1 cells, which fight against viruses and intracellular pathogens, or TH2 cells, which fight against extracellular pathogens like bacteria and parasites. However, scientists haven't fully understood whether infected tissue itself has any role in directing the optimal T cell differentiation in response to tissue infection. Our research has shown that virally infected neurons play a significant role by promoting the development of TH1 cells and inhibiting TH2 cells during viral infections.
This communication between infected neurons and the immune system happens through molecules called neuropeptides, which interact with specific receptors on T cells to guide their fate. This process is crucial for the body to effectively control viral infections. What knowledge gap does your study help to fill? Our findings show that neuroimmune communication plays .