Dr Glenn Littel [creativecommons license] via Wikimedia CommonsMood and behavior are controlled by reciprocal associations between the central nervous system and peripheral systems including the immune system. Lymphocytes, the cells of the adaptive immune system, are affected by chronic stress, but it is not known how ‘stressed’ lymphocytes affect behavior in return. Miles Herkenham and his team at National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD) wanted to learn more about the role of adaptive immunity in mediating mood and behavior. They isolated lymphocytes from mice undergoing chronic stress and transferred them to immune-deficient mice to determine how the ‘stressed’ lymphocytes would influence the behavior of their new hosts.
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