Community Series in Trends in Neuroimmunology: cross-talk between brain-resident and peripheral immune cells in both health and disease, volume III

This Research Topic is the third volume of the “Trends in Neuroimmunology: cross-talk between brain-resident and peripheral immune cells in both health and disease” Community Series. Please see Volume I here, and Volume II here.



The functional anatomy of organisms is maintained by the coordination of different systems, that often rely on interactions between specialized cells and between macromolecules. The immune system works with the circulatory and the lymphatic systems to protect most of the organs. However, some organs are considered immune privileged due to the presence of highly selective and regulated barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) within the brain. The BBB controls periphery-brain molecule exchange and prevents immune effector cells from entering the homeostatic brain. BBB-associated elements, such as endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes, and microglia, potentially can function as antigen-presenting cells (APC).

Pathological scenarios that induce dysfunction of the BBB and its associated cells may lead to the infiltration of lymphocytes crossing over from the blood to brain. Similarly, traumas can also enable B and T lymphocytes to pass bidirectionally between the CNS and the periphery, via the meningeal lymphatic vessels which drain into the cervical lymph nodes. Research in animals and in humans has revealed that B and T cells are involved in the progression of neurological diseases. It has been shown that under certain conditions, T cells establish themselves and become resident in the brain (TRM cells), from where they can either exert beneficial or detrimental effects on brain function. Amazing efforts have been made to further comprehend interactions between brain-specific cells and peripheral immune cells, and especially their roles and impact on the onset, progression, and eventual resolution of diverse brain pathologies.

This proposed Research Topic (RT) will describe our current understanding of CNS-specific immune responsiveness, in both health and disease, as well as the various elements that participate in it. More specifically, the RT will include the interrelationship between brain-specific immunity and peripheral immunity, the mechanisms for maintaining brain homeostasis, and the resolution of various insults to the brain, such as tumors, pathogen-induced neuroinflammation, cerebrovascular diseases and stroke, neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, and neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

The proposed RT will especially focus on microglia's role in neuroimmunology but will not be limited to this one cell type. More specifically, the RT will summarize research findings about microglia's interactions with infiltrated peripheral monocytes/macrophages, and with T and B lymphocytes, especially in the context of development, homeostasis, and insult-triggered neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and related topics described as follows:

- Participation of microglia, T cells, B cells, monocytes and macrophages in maintaining CNS homeostasis;

- Cross-talk between microglia, T cells, B cells, monocytes and macrophages at cellular and molecular levels in diverse brain pathologies;

- Structural and functional dynamics of immune cells coupled to milieu changes within the CNS;

- Establishment and integrity of the BBB and its involvement in the recruitment of peripheral immune cells in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative scenarios;

- Participation of circumventricular organs (CVO) in periphery-CNS immune interactions;

- Identification of genes and pathways that could be targeted for providing therapeutic intervention of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration;

- Development of model organisms (genetically or chemically induced, for example) for studying and understanding brain immunity in healthy and diseased CNS;

- State-of-art technologies, including single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomics approaches, and bioinformatics, as applied for understanding immune responses within the nervous system during the onset, progression and resolution of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative traumas.

- Diagnostic and therapeutic immune-based approaches in the CNS context.

Original articles, reviews and short communications are welcome. We expect to attract significant contributions from diverse specialists in the field, to establish new trends for future studies.