Biography
Biography: Reza Nejat
Abstract
Statement of the problem: Brain, assumed to be an immune-privileged organ, has been shown to be invaded by immune system in response to various injuries. Discovering the presence of lymphatic system in the meninges and special T helpers in the cerebrospinal fluid, scientists have speculated that immune system itself may have a great impact, sometimes of refreshing fashion, on the brain activities.
Methodology:Over 70 relevant articles were reviewed systematically in Pubmed, Clinical Key and Science Direct. Analyses were conducted for different cytokines with special insight on IL-1, IL-β, TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, other cytokines and their receptors, and their effects on the brain.
Results: According to the reported studies an intricate relationship between CNS and the immune system and dysregulation of cytokines could be found in different types of neurological disorders including psychiatric diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and specially sepsis encephalopathy.
Conclusion and Significance: Over the past decades CNS was thought of as an immune-privileged organ. It is now obvious that immune system has an intimately functional relationship with the neurons, neurovascular units and neurites. Cytokines as signaling molecules are involved not only in various injuries in the brain but also in mood regulation, anxiety, learning ability, memory, appetite and sleep pattern modulation and even in mental status. Even in septic encephalopathy the imbalance between good and bad cytokines might play a crucial role in modulation of the level of patient’s consciousness at ICU. Cytokines seem to be regulatory mediators with great impacts on CNS. Manipulating these immunotransmitters may open new horizons in treating some disabling neurological disorders.