A study, published in Nature, examined the role immune and nerve cells play in fighting gut infections.
New York City-based Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Weill Cornell Medicine researcher David Artis, MD, and colleagues administered neuromedin U cells in mice which elicited a powerful immune response.
Researchers determined immune cells and nerve cells were "working together" to combat gut infections. Researchers discovered group 2 innate lymphoid cells have a receptor for NMU cells. When ILC2 cells were exposed to NMU, the ILC2 cells multiplied and secreted chemicals to trigger an "immune response or cause inflammation." In the mice, the protein triggered an immune response that helped the mice expel parasites.
Dr. Artis said of the discovery, "Where we are most excited is thinking about multiple chronic inflammatory diseases that might be related to this neuronal-immune axis and where we might be able to intervene."
Researchers believe the discovery could aid in the fight against inflammatory diseases including asthma, food allergies and inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Artis said the research was still in too early of a phase to determine if the receptors could be treatment targets, but he said researchers are studying the pathways to see if they lead to any possible therapies.