A new Review examines complex crosstalk between the nervous system and type 2 immunity, mediated via neurotransmitters and cytokines, respectively. Nicholas Mroz and colleagues discuss recent findings that suggest neurons amplify chronic inflammation and immune responses, and affect allergy-related behaviors such as food avoidance. They also explore how type 2 immune signaling may impact brain injuries and disorders, and consider the potential mutual benefits of neuroimmune therapeutics. “Defining this complex circuitry and its molecular intermediates in physiology may reveal type 2 immunomodulators that can be harnessed for therapeutic benefit in neurologic diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, and neurodevelopmental disorders,” the authors write.  

For reporters interested in trends, the following are examples of recent studies that examined the interplay between the nervous system and type 2 immunity: A March 2023 Science Immunology study linked allergies and the nervous system: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.adc9417. A September 2023 Science study linked a neuropeptide and intestinal immunity: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade4177. An October 2023 Science Immunology study linked a neuronal circuit to skin inflammation and itching: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.abi6887. And a November 2024 Science study linked group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) to neurodevelopment and social behaviors: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi1025

While Alzheimer’s disease is mostly considered a disorder of the brain, emerging evidence suggests that the condition also affects other organs of the body. Working with the laboratory fruit fly, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital (Duncan NRI) and collaborating institutions provide a new understanding of how Alzheimer’s disease affects different tissues across the entire body. The findings, published in Neuron, reveal new insights into brain-body communication in neurodegeneration and pave the way for identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease.