The Brain-Body Axis in Neuroscience: Bidirectional Regulation Between the Brain and Peripheral Organs in Health and Disease

The nervous system orchestrates a continuous and dynamic exchange of information with peripheral organs through neural, immune, endocrine, metabolic, vascular, and extracellular-vesicle-mediated signaling. Traditionally, research on brain–organ interactions has been conducted in isolation, focusing on distinct axes such as the lung–brain, heart–brain, liver–brain, ovary–brain, gut–brain, kidney–brain, muscle–brain, and adipose–brain axes. However, mounting evidence reveals that these communication routes are deeply interdependent, with disruptions in one system capable of influencing neuroinflammation, cognition, behavior, and neurological disease progression. Conversely, changes in brain states and neural disorders can modulate the physiology and pathology of peripheral organs by altering autonomic balance, hormonal secretion, immune reactivity, circadian rhythms, and metabolic regulation. Despite significant advances, the current understanding remains fragmented, highlighting the need for an integrative framework capable of capturing the multifaceted crosstalk between the brain and the body across development, homeostasis, disease, and therapy.

This Research Topic aims to develop and refine a comprehensive conceptual and mechanistic model of the brain–body axis in neuroscience. It seeks to uncover how neural, hormonal, immune, metabolic, and behavioral systems contribute to bi-directional regulation between the central nervous system and peripheral organs. Specific objectives include characterizing the circuits and molecular pathways through which the brain influences systemic health, elucidating how peripheral organ dysfunction modifies brain structure and function, and identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets that link neurological and systemic disorders. By integrating data from clinical and preclinical studies, multi-omics analysis, advanced imaging, computational modeling, and translational experiments, this Research Topic aspires to advance brain–body medicine and support interdisciplinary discoveries benefiting both neuroscience and systemic medicine.

To gather further insights into the multidimensional regulation of the brain–body axis, we welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

1. Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental evidence defining bidirectional signaling between the brain and peripheral organs such as the lung, heart, liver, ovary, gut, kidney, muscle, adipose tissue, and immune system
2. Brain-to-organ mechanisms involving neural circuits, autonomic and hypothalamic–pituitary axes, sleep–wake states, stress and behavioral regulation of peripheral inflammation, metabolism, vascular tone, and tissue repair
3. Organ-to-brain feedback influencing neurovascular integrity, neuroinflammation, synaptic plasticity, cognition, and neurological recovery following systemic or organ-specific disease
4. Roles of cytokines, hormones, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, immune-cell migration, microbiome-derived factors, and vascular or lymphatic pathways in brain–body signal transduction
5. Multi-organ network modeling and integrative approaches linking cross-system communication with physiological and environmental factors, including sex, aging, circadian rhythms, and stress
6. Applications of multi-omics, single-cell technologies, neuroimaging, biosensing, and computational inference to map dynamic brain–body networks and disease trajectories
7. Translational models and interventions that target neural, immune, endocrine, metabolic, and autonomic pathways to promote neurological and systemic health

We particularly welcome original research articles, clinical and translational studies, systematic and narrative reviews, methodological papers, and perspectives that advance understanding of multi-organ communication in the context of neuroscience and brain–body interactions.