Innervation of nociceptor neurons in the spleen promotes germinal center responses and humoral immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38772371/)

These scientists wanted to find out if certain nerves in our body, called nociceptive sensory nerves, are connected to the spleen and can help our immune system fight off germs. They discovered that these nerves, which can sense pain, are found in the spleen and can help our body produce more germ-fighting cells.

The scientists found that when these nerves are activated by certain substances in the spleen, they release a chemical called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) that helps the spleen make more germ-fighting cells. This helps our body become better at fighting off diseases.

To test this, the scientists gave some mice a substance called capsaicin, which activates these nerves, and found that their spleens became better at fighting off the flu virus. This means that by understanding how these nerves work, we may be able to find new ways to make our immune system stronger and better at protecting us from getting sick.

Wu M., Song G., Li J., Song Z., Zhao B., Liang L., Li W., Hu H., Tu H., Li S., Li P., Zhang B., Wang W., Zhang Y., Zhang W., Zheng W., Wang J., Wen Y., Wang K., Li A., Zhou T., Zhang Y., Li H. Innervation of nociceptor neurons in the spleen promotes germinal center responses and humoral immunity. Cell. 2024 May 15:S0092-8674(24)00453-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.027.