Brain-Thymus connections in Chagas Disease

GONZALEZ F; SAVINO W; PEREZ AR

NEUROIMMUNOMODULATION.

KARGER

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2024

1021-7401

The brain and the immune systems represent the two primary adaptive systems within the body. Both are involved in a dynamic process of communication, vital for the preservation of mammalian homeostasis. This interplay involves two major pathways: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The establishment of infection can affect these immunoneuroendocrine interactions, with functional consequences for immune organs, particularly the thymus. Interestingly, the physiology of this primary organ is not only under the control of the central nervous system (CNS), but also exhibits autocrine/paracrine regulatory circuitries mediated by hormones and neuropeptides that can be altered in situations of infectious stress or chronic inflammation. In particular, Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, impacts upon immunoneuroendocrine circuits disrupting thymus physiology. Here, we discuss the most relevant findings reported in relation to brain-thymic connections during T. cruzi infection, as well as their possible implications for the immunopathology of human Chagas disease.