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Subfornical Organ Hosts Gut-Derived T Cells Influencing Behavior
- New research reveals the presence of adaptive immune cells, αβ T cells, within the subfornical organ (SFO) in the brain, challenging previous assumptions.
- Traditionally, the brain was considered immune-privileged, but this study shows specialized CD4+ T cells in the brain tissue, distinct from meningeal immune cells.
- The SFO, lacking a typical blood-brain barrier, provides a niche for T cells expressing unique genes like CXCR6, crucial for their retention within the brain.
- These brain-resident T cells produce interferon-gamma, impacting neuronal activity and behaviors in a homeostatic context.
- The gut microbiome and adipose tissue play a role in priming these T cells before their migration to the brain, suggesting bidirectional gut-brain and fat-brain axes.
- Manipulation of gut microbiota or adipose tissue composition affects T cell numbers in the brain, demonstrating systemic influence over CNS immune surveillance.
- Identification of CXCR6 as a key molecule offers potential therapeutic avenues in neurological diseases by modulating immune cell localization.
- The study highlights the impact of adaptive immunity on behavior regulation, linking peripheral immune milieu to mood, cognition, and adaptive behaviors.
- The research paves the way for understanding immune-brain communication and its implications in neuropsychiatric disorders and neuroinflammation.
- The presence of these resident T cells in the SFO opens new possibilities for therapeutic interventions targeting tissue-resident immune compartments in the CNS.
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