Cell & Developmental Biology
Open Access

Abstract

How Does Stress Affect the Immune Response?

Robert C. Sizemore

It has been well established that the immune and neuroendocrine systems interact and communicate with each other, a relationship that contributes to the regulation of cell-mediated and humoral responses [1-4]. The effect of stress on immune responses has been noted for centuries; observations that psychological stress influences the body’s ability to respond to infection and the recovery from wounds in battle have been recorded throughout history. Recently, short-term stress has been shown to enhance immune responses whereas long-term stress leads to suppression. Although the mechanisms responsible for these observations have still not been fully elucidated data from this laboratory indicate that molecules produced in response to stress may play a major role. More surprisingly, it appears that the active moieties are extremely small peptides cleaved from larger neuroendocrine molecules.