Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.8
2.7
Journals
Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Neural–Immune Interactions: Understanding the Bidirectional Relationship between the Brain and...
share announcement

Neural–Immune Interactions: Understanding the Bidirectional Relationship between the Brain and Immune Cells

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 1804

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Enrique Becerril-Villanueva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Psicoinmunología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
Interests: neuroimmunoendocrinology; psychoneuroimmunology; psycho-oncology; myco-bacterial infections
Dr. Alberto Salazar-Juárez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental División de Investigaciones Clínicas Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
Interests: active vaccination; cocaine; nicotine; neurochemistry of addictions
Dr. María Dolores Ponce-Regalado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro Universitario de los Altos, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 47610, Mexico
Interests: neuroimmunomodulation; suicidal behavior; psychiatry disorders; cytotoxicity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we explore the intrinsic communication between the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. The interaction of these three systems and the processes they regulate is an exciting and integral topic. In recent years, that the molecules that regulate this communication, as well as the processes in which they participate, have been extensively described. The dysregulation of this communication can be observed in the cognitive alterations associated with sickness behavior, cancer, psychiatric disorders, autoimmune, neurodegenerative diseases and drugs of abuse.

The present Special Issue aims to provide a platform for the presentation of cutting-edge knowledge that exposes novel mechanisms of interaction between the nervous, immune and endocrine systems, as well as new experimental therapies that offer benefits in multiple diseases. Our editorial team will be pleased to review your proposals and create a high-quality Special Issue.

Dr. Enrique Becerril-Villanueva
Dr. Alberto Salazar-Juárez
Dr. María Dolores Ponce-Regalado
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuroimmunology
  • neuroimmunoendocrinology
  • psychiatric disorders
  • psycho-oncology
  • infectious diseases
  • sickness behavior
  • neurotransmitters
  • cytokines
  • hormones

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 3156 KiB  
Article
NIC6-TT Vaccine Reduces Nicotine-Seeking Behavior and Expression of Nicotine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization in Rats
by Susana Barbosa Méndez and Alberto Salazar-Juárez
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(4), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15040364 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Introduction: Various models of nicotine vaccines have been evaluated. In humans, antibody levels are low and variable. In this sense, it is necessary to improve or optimize the nicotine vaccines already evaluated. We reported the efficacy of the M6-TT vaccine. [...] Read more.
Introduction: Various models of nicotine vaccines have been evaluated. In humans, antibody levels are low and variable. In this sense, it is necessary to improve or optimize the nicotine vaccines already evaluated. We reported the efficacy of the M6-TT vaccine. Recently, we reported the efficacy of the COC-TT vaccine, which was developed from the M6-TT vaccine. Both vaccines generate high titers of antibodies and attenuate heroin- or cocaine-induced behavioral effects in rodents. Aims and Methods: The objective of this study was to determine whether the antibodies generated by a tetanus toxoid-conjugated nicotine vaccine (NIC6-TT) can produce anti-nicotine antibodies and decrease the nicotine-induced reinforcing and psychomotor effects. Male Wistar rats were immunized with the NIC6-TT. A solid-phase antibody-capture ELISA was used to monitor antibody titer responses after each booster dose in vaccinated animals. The study used nicotine self-administration and nicotine locomotor sensitization testing to evaluate the nicotine-reinforcing and psychomotor effects. Results: The NIC6-TT vaccine could generate high and sustained levels of anti-nicotine antibodies. The antibodies reduced the nicotine self-administration and expression of nicotine locomotor sensitization. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the NIC6-TT vaccine generates a robust immunogenic response capable of reducing the reinforcing and psychomotor effects of nicotine, which supports its possible future use in clinical trials for the treatment of smokers. Implications: Smoking is the second most used psychoactive substance in the world, which is associated with millions of preventable deaths. An effective treatment is required. Nicotine vaccines must generate high levels of anti-nicotine antibodies, but above all, the decay curve of the antibodies must be very slow, so that they can provide long-term protection and support long-term smoking abstinence. The NIC6-TT vaccine meets these properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural–Immune Interactions: Understanding the Bidirectional Relationship between the Brain and Immune Cells)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2039 KiB  
Article
The Sexual Dimorphism of the Neuroimmune Response in the Brains of Taenia crassiceps-Infected Mice
by Karen Elizabeth Nava-Castro, Diana Lizeth Ruiz-Antonio, María del Sol Ríos-Avila, Claudia Angélica Garay-Canales, Lenin Pavón, Romel Hernandez-Bello, Víctor Hugo Del Río-Araiza, Manuel Iván Girón-Pérez and Jorge Morales-Montor
Brain Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14111127 - 8 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
Background: Helminth infections are associated with cognitive deficits, especially in school-age children. Deworming treatment in heavily infected children improves their short- and long-term memory recall. In mice, intraperitoneal helminth infection with Taenia crassiceps (T. crassiceps) shows sexual dimorphism in terms of [...] Read more.
Background: Helminth infections are associated with cognitive deficits, especially in school-age children. Deworming treatment in heavily infected children improves their short- and long-term memory recall. In mice, intraperitoneal helminth infection with Taenia crassiceps (T. crassiceps) shows sexual dimorphism in terms of the parasite load, immune response, hormone levels, and behavioral changes. We have previously shown poorer short-term memory performance and changes in the concentrations of cytokines and neurotransmitters in the hippocampus, which were replicated in this study. The molecular changes in other brain structures, such as those related to reproduction, are unknown. Methods: Male and female Balb/cAnN mice were chronically infected with T. crassiceps larvae. We determined the peritoneal parasite load and established the presence of cytokines and neurotransmitters in the hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and hypothalamus. Results: The parasite load was higher in female than male infected mice, as expected. In the hippocampus, the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin increased in males but decreased in females. In contrast, in the olfactory bulb and hypothalamus, the neurotransmitters assessed showed no statistical differences. The cytokine profiles were different in each brain structure. The TNF-α levels in the olfactory bulb and the IL-4 levels in the hippocampus of infected mice were dimorphic; IFN-γ was augmented in both male and female infected animals, although the increase was higher in infected males. Conclusions: The brain responds to peripheral infection with cytokine levels that vary from structure to structure. This could be a partial explanation for the dimorphic behavioral alterations associated with infection, it also demonstrates the synergic interaction between the immune, the endocrine, and the nervous systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neural–Immune Interactions: Understanding the Bidirectional Relationship between the Brain and Immune Cells)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop