Immunoregulatory Neuropeptides

The neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide: direct effects on immune cells and involvement in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

“…Deficiencies in Treg were documented in autoimmune diseases, and various experimental models. The majority of the anti‐inflammatory neuropeptides have been reported to induce Treg (Ganea ). However, VIP is presently the only neuropeptide reported to induce antigen‐specific Treg through the generation of tDC pulsed with specific antigens.…”

“…Both immune and non‐immune cells express neuropeptide receptors which initiate specific signalling pathways leading to regulatory effects on gene expression. An expanding number of studies characterized the effects of neuropeptides on various parameters of the innate and adaptive immune response (reviewed in Ganea ). With few exceptions, neuropeptides suppress the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from innate immune cells and inhibit differentiation of T cells into the pro‐inflammatory Th1 subset, while promoting Treg differentiation and/or activity.…”