Science / Medicine : New Clue on Immune System

Scientists have found a new clue to how the brain may interact with the immune system, possibly helping explain why bereaved people and others under stress may be more likely to get sick. Researchers at the University of Texas in Galveston showed that a key part of the immune system--white blood cells--have receptors for a hormone produced in response to stress.

“Our work kind of shows a mechanism that the immune system and brain can use to communicate. It’s an indication that there are the same essential communication structures. In a sense, you could say they are speaking the same language,” said Eric M. Smith, an associate professor of psychiatry and microbiology who headed the study.

In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers tested white blood cells from a random sampling of blood donors to determine whether the hormone ACTH would bind to the cells. ACTH is produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the adrenal gland when an individual is under stress. The researchers found strong evidence that the cells had receptors for the hormone, meaning the hormone apparently has some effect on the cells, Smith said.