MURAKAMI Masaaki ≪Developmental Immunology≫ “Regional Neural Activation Defines a Gateway for Autoreactive T Cells to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier”
2012-2-3
PublishCell, 148, 447–457 (2012)
Although it is believed that neural activations can affect immune responses, very little is known about the neuro-immune interactions involved, especially the key regulators for immune signals to reach from the blood to the CNS. We here describe dorsal blood vessels in the 5th lumbar-cord that show excess chemokine levels in a manner dependent on regional neural activations of the soleus-muscle. These responses appear to act as a gate for blood cell populations including immune cells to enter the CNS. This gate can promote pathogenic T cells inflammatory inflow, which risks autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Therefore, these regional neuro-immune interactions may offer new therapeutic targets for neurological diseases.Research highlights are;(1) A mouse multiple sclerosis model reveals a gateway through which T-cells enter the CNS, (2) T-cell entry occurs via dorsal blood vessels that contact a specific region of the spine, (3) Entry depends on high CCL20 chemokine output from the IL-6 amplifier in dorsal vessels, and (4) Leg soleus muscle activity enhances chemokine expression in dorsal blood vessels
