Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Vol. 12, No. 5, 1992
Preface
Special Issue on Neuroimmunology George B. Stefano
The field of neuroimmunology is truly in its infancy. Classically, many scientists have always regarded the immune system as being mostly self-regulating. Compounding this problem was the concept that the majority of animals, invertebrates, did not have a true "immune" system since aspects of this system were missing, e.g., memory and mammalian cytokine-like molecules. Today we know that the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems engage in dynamic communications using similar signal molecules. Evidence is now emerging from different laboratories demonstrating that the same is true in invertebrates. In terms of general interest, neuroimmunology is a field that crosses into and breaks down existing disciplines. The field includes psychoneuroimmunology and neuroimmunoendocrinology as well as autoimmunoregulation. As "neuroimmune" signal molecules we have hormones, "neurotransmitters," and neuropeptides as well as the different varieties of immune signal molecules engaging in cascading modulatory pathways. Indeed, the interrelationships between these intercellular communication mechanisms can be quite overwhelming. Additionally, perturbations of these mechanisms may be significant in various pathologies (AIDS and schistosomiasis), environmental assaults, and psychosocial stressful situations. The reports presented in this issue of Cellular and Moleclar Neurobiology concentrate on signal molecule systems. They represent original research demonstrating the complexity of this phenomenon. They also tend to highlight the significance of the comparative approach since some of the signal molecule systems appear to have evolved appoximately 500 million years before mammals. In this regard, the bidirectional communication between the nervous and the immune systems appears to have been important and necessary for the evolvement of man.
355 0272-4340/92/1000-0355506.50/0t~ 1992 Plenum Publishing Corporation
Preface
Special Issue on Neuroimmunology George B. Stefano
The field of neuroimmunology is truly in its infancy. Classically, many scientists have always regarded the immune system as being mostly self-regulating. Compounding this problem was the concept that the majority of animals, invertebrates, did not have a true "immune" system since aspects of this system were missing, e.g., memory and mammalian cytokine-like molecules. Today we know that the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems engage in dynamic communications using similar signal molecules. Evidence is now emerging from different laboratories demonstrating that the same is true in invertebrates. In terms of general interest, neuroimmunology is a field that crosses into and breaks down existing disciplines. The field includes psychoneuroimmunology and neuroimmunoendocrinology as well as autoimmunoregulation. As "neuroimmune" signal molecules we have hormones, "neurotransmitters," and neuropeptides as well as the different varieties of immune signal molecules engaging in cascading modulatory pathways. Indeed, the interrelationships between these intercellular communication mechanisms can be quite overwhelming. Additionally, perturbations of these mechanisms may be significant in various pathologies (AIDS and schistosomiasis), environmental assaults, and psychosocial stressful situations. The reports presented in this issue of Cellular and Moleclar Neurobiology concentrate on signal molecule systems. They represent original research demonstrating the complexity of this phenomenon. They also tend to highlight the significance of the comparative approach since some of the signal molecule systems appear to have evolved appoximately 500 million years before mammals. In this regard, the bidirectional communication between the nervous and the immune systems appears to have been important and necessary for the evolvement of man.
355 0272-4340/92/1000-0355506.50/0t~ 1992 Plenum Publishing Corporation
