Heart-Brain Summit to Feature Presentation on Connection Between Brain and Immune System
Kevin Tracey, MD, director of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY, shared the latest findings on this direct connection between the brain and the immune system at the Heart-Brain Summit at the Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland, OH (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 11, 2007 -- The brain and the immune system have an intimate relationship and it could have implications for many diseases as well as strengthening the bonds of human health. Kevin Tracey, MD, director of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, NY, shared the latest findings on this direct connection between the brain and the immune system at the Heart-Brain Summit at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Tracey and his colleagues discovered that the vagus nerve, located in the brain stem, talks directly to the immune system, which is spread throughout the body. The brain has long been thought to communicate with the immune system only indirectly through the bloodstream. Now, with evidence of this direct connection, scientists can imagine ways to prevent immune-mediated diseases by altering brain responses or targeting the immune system itself as a way to control diseases. "Every facet of the immune response has a role in eradicating invaders, neutralizing the potential for damage and protecting the body's tissues," Dr. Tracey told colleagues at the meeting. But there are a number of autoimmune diseases that have led Dr. Tracey and others to wonder: "Why would the body make its own cells that would cause damage?" To answer this question, Dr. Tracey has set out to understand how this direct communication takes place. In one study, he delivered a lethal bacteria called endotoxin to animals and watched as the immune system took hold to mount an all-out war against the invader. The animals responded by mounting a massive immune response that ended up killing them as their immune system tried to kill the lethal bacteria. It's an intriguing model of an autoimmune reaction. Then, to test the powers of the vagus nerve's role in immunity, they stimulated the vagus nerve and it prevented the immune system's lethal response to the endotoxin. The animals survived the event. The Latin word for the vagus nerve is "to wander." That is exactly what it does; snaking all over the body's major organs - the heart, spleen, liver and kidneys. The immune system cells also live in these same organs and the vagus nerve sends out chemical signals that produce an electrical signal that talks to the nerves. During the endotoxin experiments, Dr. Tracey and his colleagues discovered that a brain chemical called acetylcholine is summoned and floats a short distance to land on receptors of immune cells called macrophages, and this seems to shut off the massive immune response. This is the first time that it has been shown that nerves can directly turn off the immune response to invasion, whether by injury or infection. Research is now underway to see whether tweaking the brain's acetylcholine system could be a natural way to control the inflammatory response. Inflammation is key to many diseases - from autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis to Alzheimer's, where scientists have identified a strong inflammatory component.
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, and part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System , The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimers disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, human genetics, leukemia, lymphoma, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. Feinstein investigators rank in the top 6th percentile of all grant awards funded by the National Institutes of Health. Feinstein Researchers are developing new drugs and drug targets, and producing results where science meets the patient. For more information, please visit www.FeinsteinInstitute.org. Contact:
Terry Lynam
516-465-2600 # # #
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