Scientists Confirm Immune Cells Communicate Using Neurotransmitter Mechanisms

A joint research team from the University of Münster and Ruhr University Bochum in Germany has, for the first time, confirmed in real-time that human immune cells can communicate using the same chemical signals as nerve cells: catecholamine neurotransmitters, including dopamine and adrenaline. This discovery provides a novel perspective for understanding immune system regulation mechanisms, with findings published in 'Advanced Science'.

The research focused on neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell and the body's first defense against infection. Led by Professor Louise Erpenbeck and Professor Sebastian Kruss, the team found that these immune cells possess molecular mechanisms similar to those in nerve cells. They can take up catecholamines, store them in intracellular vesicles, and release these signal molecules directionally when stimulated by inflammation, akin to how neurons function.

Crucial to achieving these real-time observations were ultrasensitive fluorescent carbon nanotube sensors. These tiny detectors are highly sensitive to catecholamines, enabling researchers to track the release process from individual living cells in real-time under a microscope for the first time. The study confirmed that inflammatory signals, such as serotonin and bacterial components, act as triggers for this release.

The released catecholamines directly influence the immune response. They can inhibit excessive defensive reactions from neutrophils while simultaneously promoting blood coagulation, directly linking the immune and vascular systems. Further tests on healthy volunteers confirmed this mechanism is active during actual inflammatory responses in the human body, indicating its significant role and altering the understanding of inflammatory processes and immune cell communication.