Neuroendocrine immune interactions in health and disease

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review ways in which the neurohormonal system can interact with the immune system and to outline the main mechanisms which are involved in this interaction. Experimental as well as clinical evidence is presented to support the existence of a close interaction and bi-directional communication between the central nervous and immune systems. The role of major endocrine mechanisms and hormones is discussed. The evidences from experimental work to support the roles of the nervous system with neurotransmitters, the endocrine system with hormones, and the immune system with cytokines are presented. Aging, depression and cancer have a high degree of co-association and share mechanisms which result in cellular immune deficiency. Hormone therapy, zinc replenishment, antidepressants, immunomodulators like MDP act on these pathways to upregulate and improve cellular immunity. The authors believe that the central nervous system (CNS)–immune interaction is an important new frontier to be considered for new combination therapy in diseases with cellular immune deficiency such as cancer particularly in the aged with depression.