Tracey Kevin J
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, North Shore-LIJ Research Institute, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
Nature. 2002;420(6917):853-9. doi: 10.1038/nature01321.
Inflammation is a local, protective response to microbial invasion or injury. It must be fine-tuned and regulated precisely, because deficiencies or excesses of the inflammatory response cause morbidity and shorten lifespan. The discovery that cholinergic neurons inhibit acute inflammation has qualitatively expanded our understanding of how the nervous system modulates immune responses. The nervous system reflexively regulates the inflammatory response in real time, just as it controls heart rate and other vital functions. The opportunity now exists to apply this insight to the treatment of inflammation through selective and reversible 'hard-wired' neural systems.
炎症是对微生物入侵或损伤的一种局部保护性反应。它必须得到精确的调节和控制，因为炎症反应的不足或过度都会导致发病并缩短寿命。胆碱能神经元抑制急性炎症这一发现，从本质上扩展了我们对神经系统如何调节免疫反应的理解。神经系统能像控制心率和其他重要功能一样，实时反射性地调节炎症反应。现在有机会通过选择性和可逆的“硬连线”神经系统，将这一见解应用于炎症治疗。
