Control of immunity by the nervous system

About

Welcome!
 
Our laboratory brings together a team of undergraduates, technicians, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers who are combining their efforts to understand how the brain can shape immunity.

We use mouse genetics, imaging, bioengineering and cellular biological techniques, as well as proteomics, to study the impact of peripheral nerve electrostimulation on immune response or immune-related diseases.
 
Part of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), our lab is located at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (IPMC) in Sophia Antipolis close to Nice, France.
 
The following pages present a short description of the laboratory's current research projects with examples of publications resulting from our work.

Have a nice visit!

Research

The function of all organs is controlled by peripheral nerve activity, either consciously by motor neurons or, below the level of consciousness, by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system comprises two main divisions: the catecholaminergic (sympathetic) and cholinergic (parasympathetic) pathways. The immune function is not an exception to this rule. Lymphoid organs are endowed with dense sympathetic innervations, and most immune cells express functional catecholaminergic and cholinergic receptors. Kevin Tracey's group at the Feinstein Institute in New York, USA conducted pioneering studies that revealed the existence of an anti-inflammatory reflex. This reflex involves neural circuits that detect inflammatory mediators through afferent nerves and modulate immune responses by relaying corresponding signals back to the lymphoid organs through efferent nerves.

It is a crucial component of the extrinsic control of immune responses in pathological conditions.

Both the cholinergic and adrenergic branches of the autonomic nervous system have been shown to modulate immune cell function both in vitro and in vivo. However, instead of relying solely on pharmacological approaches, Bioelectronic Medicine offers an alternative method by implanting electrodes to electrostimulate peripheral nerves. Decades of research have shown that vagus nerve electrical stimulation (VNS) can induce the release of neurotransmitters from peripheral nerves and inhibit inflammation in rodents. These results have recently translated into successful clinical trials in both Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn's disease, and this is an active area of research. We are only just beginning to harness the potential of this powerful approach.

We are currently investigating whether electrical stimulation is a valuable strategy to inhibit the immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). We are targeting different nerves to treat different inflammatory diseases.