New Role For Immune System Affects Social Behaviour

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This new role for immune system activity is believed to be responsible for controlling social behaviour, which was first observed in animals and could also be the same with humans.

New role for immune system product of evolution

This startling new evidence was the result of a study by a team from the University of Virgina, School of Medicine where that were able to trace the link of the immune system playing a role in a social activity. The findings could somehow prove to have a great impact on neurological conditions like schizophrenia and autism-spectrum disorders.

“The brain and the adaptive immune system were thought to be isolated from each other, and any immune activity in the brain was perceived as sign of a pathology. And now, not only are we showing that they are closely interacting, but some of our behavior traits might have evolved because of our immune response to pathogens,” says Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, chairman of UVA’s Department of Neuroscience. “It’s crazy, but maybe we are just multicellular battlefields for two ancient forces: pathogens and the immune system. Part of our personality may actually be dictated by the immune system.”

Immune system role points to self-preservation

This role of the immune system may not be generally limited simply to the need of humans to co- exist with others, but is more of a systemic process that enables one to survive. There is link between social interaction and human pathogens that are responsible for diseases, especially since social interaction is an active carrier.

“It’s extremely critical for an organism to be social for the survival of the species. It’s important for foraging, sexual reproduction, gathering, hunting,” says Anthony J. Filiano, PhD, Hartwell postdoctoral fellow in the Kipnis lab and lead author of the study. “So the hypothesis is that when organisms come together, you have a higher propensity to spread infection. So you need to be social, but [in doing so]you have a higher chance of spreading pathogens. The idea is that interferon gamma, in evolution, has been used as a more efficient way to both boost social behavior while boosting an anti-pathogen response.”

The researchers believe these findings are revolutionizing the ways in which people understand human functions and one of the greatest implications is that it may someday give rise to more effective therapeutic approaches to mental conditions or even treatment.

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